


Wind Through My Fingers

by milkyeggy



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Attempt at Humor, Bad Communication, Bad Flirting, Blood and Injury, Completed AF, Dorks in Love, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Hisoka Protection Squad, Homare and Chikage Become Bros, I finally finished, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mutual Pining, Side - Chikage/Itaru, Spoilers - Scarlet Mirror, Violence, i don't make the rules, this is a wedding fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:13:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 75,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24352648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkyeggy/pseuds/milkyeggy
Summary: Homare: I love you very much, and you are so so important to me. I would die for you without hesitation. I will give you my entire life.Hisoka: damn arisu that's crazy
Relationships: Arisugawa Homare & Utsuki Chikage, Arisugawa Homare/Mikage Hisoka, Chigasaki Itaru/Utsuki Chikage
Comments: 145
Kudos: 260





	1. Hisoka-kun Protection Squad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again~
> 
> I wanted to write a multi-chapter work for these two, so here we go again ;D There are most definitely SPOILERS in this... however, in the first few chapters at least, Scarlet Mirror has not happened yet. So, to be on the safe side, I'll say there's spoilers up and until that point (might eventually include spoilers from Scarlet Mirror, I'll try to note when). 
> 
> I've done my best to keep them in character, but as this work is going to be long and plot heavy, I might forget about traits that were touched upon in one chapter, or so on. For example, I can't remember if Homare sucks at running or not, but for the intents and purposes of this story, let's just say he can. 
> 
> I love comments! Please let me know what you think :)

The hand that was wrapped around his throat tightened. It was late at night, and he didn’t hear any voices from outside of the alleyway. He had just gotten back from a meeting with his editor that had run over, so the sun had set by the time he had finished.

He tried to stick to the well-lit paths, but he supposes that meant nothing when he could just be yanked by the arm into an alleyway.

“I’ll ask you again…” the man in front of him muttered, his eyes narrowing with the promise of no mercy, “where is December?”

“…I-I keep telling you… I don’t anyone named December.”

“Bullshit. You were with him. I saw you. White hair, shorter than you, holding a bag of marshmallows?”

That’s right… didn’t Hisoka say something about-

Homare let the fake-surprise and realization dawn on his face. “Oh! You mean Sanada-san! I-I mean-” he spluttered, averting his eyes away as if he had been caught revealing a secret.

The grip on his throat lessened just the slightest bit. “So, he made an alias… of course. What’s his full name?”

“I’m not going to tell you!”

The grip around his neck constricted to the point Homare was wondering if he was going to make it out of this alive.

“…S-Sanada. Sanada Toshiro.”

The man let Homare go with a rough shove which had Homare slamming against the wall behind him. He bent over, hands on his knees, and desperately trying to get air back in his lungs. The man collected his machete off the floor, its metal glistening under the moonlight.

“Occupation?”

“H-he’s an assistant editor at Shinji Co., which isn’t in this city, and he’s been working there since last month. We were here for a conference meeting. He had asked me out to c-coffee so he could learn the ropes better. He’s odd… he has the skills, but he’s really lacking in some common sense skills…”

“Such as?”

“Hmm~ Clenching his teeth.”

“What?”

“Clench your teeth.”

Homare shot forward and punched the man in the face, having gotten his breath back, but still acting to be bent over in exhaustion. He tried to mimic Autumn Troupe’s punches the best he could (he had even gotten that line from them!) before he quickly moved aside to get out of the alleyway.

“-You bitch!”

Under the moonlight, Homare could see the flash of metal. He tried his best to dodge, but just barely missed having him arm cut off. Still, it had made contact, and the pain had Homare gritting his teeth.

Still, if he learned anything, it was how to run fast(er) with Tasuku during their training camps. He knew that his pursuer could potentially have a gun, so he made as many confusing turns as he could before he finally made it back to the more populated Veludo Way. He ducked behind a cluster of trees, and watched for a few seconds before he saw the man coming out of an intersection, looking around as he ran.

Good. So that meant the man wasn’t sure if he had stopped here.

This wasn’t where most publishing companies were, or popular hotels for that matter, so without stopping, the man ran out of the street, towards who-knows-where.

Homare panted quietly, hand gripping the arm that had been cut with the machete. It was bleeding, and how wet it was becoming was making him feel a little nauseous, but he managed to get back to the theatre easily enough. He must have looked like a madman, constantly looking behind his shoulder while nursing his bleeding arm, but he didn’t care. He was already cautious when he left that meeting, and _that_ hadn’t done anything for him.

He entered the building, but noticed that it was eerily quiet. It _was_ late at night, so he hoped that everyone had just retired for the night (and that nothing had happened to them). Even if something _had_ happened, he would fight for them back. Lying about Hisoka’s entire existence was just the beginning of the lengths he was willing to go for his friends (his family).

Sighing quietly, he locked the door, looked at it three times to make sure it was locked, grabbed the medical supplies, and shakily sat down on a kitchen chair. Now that the adrenaline was leaving his body, he could feel even more clearly the pain in his arm, the dark splotches in his vision, how labored his breathing was-

“-Homare-san?”

Homare’s head snapped to his left, his eyes going wide. So what if he looked a bit like he was being hunted, sue him. Homare visibly calmed down when he saw who had approached.

“…Chikage-kun?”

They were both silent for a few seconds after that, the each of them taking the other in. When Chikage made a move towards the light, Homare held a bloodied hand up.

“Please don’t. And don’t… tell Hisoka-kun about this either.”

Chikage stopped in his tracks, and turned so he could _really_ look at Homare. There was dark splotches around his neck that looked vaguely like fingers, and there was blood all over the hand that was nursing his arm. “So it’s a Hisoka thing.”

“…It’s a Hisoka-kun thing. That’s why he can’t know.”

Chikage came closer, and almost chuckled at how Homare’s guard wasn’t up with him. _Trust_. The word he’s been taught over and over again to discard. Homare might have been the first injured person in a long time to not even flinch at him approaching. Even some of his teammates back at the Organization didn’t have as much guts as the man in front of him.

“Okay… for now. He’s a part of your troupe, and he finds you quite important. I can’t keep this from him forever. Especially if it concerns him. Now, tell me what happened. Were you interrogated? If you gave away any information, I’ll have to act fast.”

“The only thing I confirmed was that he was with me one day when we were out, and that I knew who he- the person interrogating me, was talking about. I gave Hisoka-kun a fake name, a fake job in another city, in a fake company, and watched the person run past Veludo Way.”

“…I’m a little impressed you managed all of that under duress, while still acting properly.”

Homare shrugged, and then winced at the pain from doing so. “I suppose my theatre experience has paid off. My poems have moved the hearts of millions, but something told me it wasn’t going to create a change of heart this time.”

“No, I’m sure it wouldn’t have. Do you feel faint?”

“Yes, very.”

“Okay, do you trust me?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Just making sure.”

Homare felt his eyes slip shut, but instead of his head hitting the table like he expected, he landed on something softer and warmer. He could feel Chikage’s body heat, and the slight scent of grass that didn’t belong to him. “…Remember what you promised me…”

“It was a promise?”

“Chikage-kun.”

“…Yes, I will.”

When Homare’s body turned completely limp against him, Chikage got to work. He carefully picked up the other man and made sure not to aggravate the wound too much. He placed him down on the sofa, before going back to collect the medical supplies.

When Chikage sat back down again, having grabbed a chair from the kitchen, he pulled out a knife (one of the many he kept on his body at all times), and expertly cut off the sleeve of Homare’s shirt. He had done this multiple times for the teammates that trusted him (enough), and for himself. He was able to close the wound with stitching and put some ointment on Homare’s neck all within half an hour, and he could have finished even faster than that if he had needed to, but he wanted to make sure this was done right.

Because Hisoka would kill him if he messed up here.

Homare grimaced in his sleep, muttering something, before dozing off again. Chikage smiled. And maybe because Chikage himself also didn’t dislike the loud poet. Chikage didn’t want to break their ‘promise’, never mind how many promises he’s broken in his life, so he knew taking Homare back to his and Hisoka’s room would be a bad idea.

Chigasaki _was_ supposed to be working overnight today… and to be honest, it was probably the best option for Chikage to stay close to Homare for a while with what happened. With his mind made, he picked Homare up again, and brought him to his room.

He settled him on his own bed, and pulled the blanket over Homare. Chigasaki was annoying, but not annoying enough to deserve a bloodied man sleeping on his bed. Chikage had cleaned up the other man the best he could, and even though Homare was visibly free of blood, Chikage could still smell it on him. How could he not? He was so used to the scent.

“Goodnight.”

Chikage slipped into Itaru’s bed, knowing that he would wake up before the man got back. He yawned. What Chigasaki doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

.

.

.

.

.

.

When Homare woke up, it was in a daze, and with him gasping for air. He blinked rapidly as his hands reached for his neck, which was thankfully, unchoked. But it had been choked, and the dream he had (memory?) wasn’t helping with getting over that fact. On an optimistic note, what other poet could boast having a real life or death situation in their repertoire? The anguish and terror he felt when he realized he might potentially die should translate exceptionally well into his works. He ignored the small, nagging voice at the back of his head that was whispering he was in denial, to help his mind handle the pain, to not freak out-

-not when Hisoka’s life was in danger. So, instead of having a meltdown, Homare laughed.

“Fufu… how exciting. I feel like I’m going to evolve as a writer. I’m alive, so this calls for a celebratory poem.”

“Please don’t.”

Homare stiffened at the voice, hands already clenching in defence, before he realized where he was. He turned his head and pouted at the man on the other bed, who looked like had been up for a while – being fully dressed and all, and doing something on his cellphone.

“Please think of your health.” Chikage corrected, smirking from where he sat.

Homare frowned nevertheless, before gingerly touching his neck again. “My health seems fine… you have my gratitude.”

“Yes, you’re welcome, Homare-san. Now…”

Chikage came over, and handed his scarf to the poet. It was a pale pink. “I got this from a family member in the past, for my birthday. It should cover the wounds on your neck well. It’s light too – so it won’t look as suspicious as bandages.”

Homare accepted the scarf, smiling lightly. “It’s beautiful and of exquisite quality. But you wear this a lot… are you sure it’s okay?”

“It’s more suspicious that you spent the night in my room.”

Homare rolled his eyes. “I _mean_ , is it okay for me to use it? I’m not worried about people making the connection that it’s yours. Everyone already knows where _your_ interests lay, dear Chikage-kun.”

“Except the person of interest.”

“Except the person of interest.” Homare agreed, wrapping the scarf around his neck. “I’m telling you; you just need to give them a good poem from the heart! I’ll even help you get started! Itaru-san will be _so_ blown away by your declaration of passion, he’ll be throwing himself all over you!”

“Well… I guess it’s worked, in your case. Also, isn’t it tiring to always talk like ‘!!!’ all the time?”

“What?”

“Never mind… you really aren’t any better than Chigasaki. Now, _before_ Chigasaki gets here, you should head out. Your shirt is bloodied, by the way, so you can use this.”

Chikage handed Homare a plain white T-shirt, totally normal, except for the fact Homare doesn’t usually wear such basic clothing by itself. Homare accepted it gratefully, nevertheless. “Thank you. I feel like you’re donating all of your clothing to me.”

Chikage smiled. “You can keep the shirt if you’d like, but the scarf will be returned.”

“Of course. It’s something precious.”

With that, Homare got off the bed and carefully stretched, while being mindful of his injuries. He slid off his bloodied shirt carefully, being bending over to pick up the white T-shirt. His eyebrows furrowed when he noticed Chikage had his phone out.

“Hmm?”

“It’s nothing.”

Homare paid it no further mind, and slipped the shirt on. “I don’t want to put these in the laundry, since they’re bloodied. Can I ask you another favor…?” he trailed off, smiling as he held the bloodied shirt in Chikage’s direction.

“Sure. It’s probably for the better this way.” Chikage answered, taking the bloodied shirt from Homare and slipping his phone back into his pocket.

Homare jolted when loud banging shook the frame of the door. Trust Chikage to look completely calm. Wasn’t he worried at all that it could be revenge? It was certainly loud enough to feel like there were multiple people banging on the door.

“They’re here sooner than I thought they would arrive.” Chikage said out loud in thought, a hand rising to his chin. “Well, it’s about his precious Arisu, so I’m not surprised.” he added more quietly, to himself.

“Who are ‘ _they_ ’, Chikage-kun-?!”

“-Chikage! Open up!” Every syllable was punctuated with an especially hard sounding hit to the door.

Homare’s shoulders loosened. “Oh, it’s just Hisoka-kun… wait. How does he know I’m in here?”

Chikage just smiled knowingly.

Homare’s eyes narrowed, “Chikage-kun…?”

“…I might have sent a LIME message that ‘you were taking too long, so I stole Arisu away~’ with a picture of you half-naked. I made sure your injuries were hidden in the photo though.”

“Chikage-kun!!”

“Kidding. I only sent the picture, with no message.”

“That’s surprisingly worse!”

Homare jumped on the spot when the door came crashing down, literally knocked off its hinges. It banged as it hit the floor, and Homare gulped – Sakyo was _not_ going to be happy about that _at all_.

“ _Chiikage…_ ”

Homare immediately stood in front of Chikage, hands up in a placating manner while he smiled. “Please wait, Hisoka-kun! It’s not what it looks like.”

“…Then you’re telling me you two had a _sleepover_ , with snacks and horror films?”

Homare inwardly grimaced. That was a lot of malice pouring out of Hisoka right now. At least they got to the crux of Hisoka’s anger. “Yes! But please don’t worry, we didn’t touch your supply of marshmallows! I promise!”

“…Can you two please do this someplace else?”

Homare’s eyes looked past Hisoka’s head to notice that Itaru had returned from whatever hellish overnight shift he had been working. There were dark circles underneath his eyes, and while he was still in ‘princely’ mode, he wasn’t exactly smiling either.

“Yes, of course, Itaru-kun! And welcome home!” Homare rushed out in one breath, before going forward to grab Hisoka by the arm, not missing a beat. Hisoka let himself be dragged backwards like a particularly limp doll, used to going along with Arisu’s many whims by now. “Sorry about the door!”

With that, Homare ran away with Hisoka in tow.

“…Door? What does he-“ Itaru stopped midsentence when his sleep-deprived vision finally noticed that the piece of white wood on the floor was, in fact, the door to his room. His castle was _under attack_. He knew he should have raised his defence stats before leaving for his overnight shift.

“ _Senpaiii_?”

Chikage smiled from where he was standing, his eyes closed in the picture of innocence and arms crossed across his chest. “Welcome back, Chigasaki.”

“I’m going to kill you.”

“Wait, Chigasaki, look… I got you this. An energy drink. For my favorite junior.”

“…I’m going to do it… I’m really going to kill the most unromantic senpai to exist…” Itaru muttered darkly, moving forward in possessed and shaky steps towards his senpai.

Chikage smiled. He was kind of starting to regret this a little bit…

Homare was huffing in exhaustion when they made it back to their own room. He opened the door, and shuffled them both inside. He ignored how out of his mind exhausted he was, and beamed at Hisoka. “Look, Hisoka-kun! Marshmallows,” he said, grabbing multiple bags from the closet he kept them in, “all for you!”

Homare pushed the bags of marshmallows into Hisoka’s chest, expecting Hisoka to take them in his arms, but Hisoka didn’t budge. “What were you doing in Chikage’s room?”

Homare felt a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. He couldn’t quite say, ‘I was nearly choked to death by someone looking to hurt you’, right?! Distraction, distraction… ah ha! “Ooh, what’s this? That’s right! It’s the limited-edition chocolate almond crunch marshmallows you like so much! I got in line for more!”

The marshmallow bags fell to the floor when Hisoka took a step back without responding. Inwardly, Homare was panicking. Did someone swap his Hisoka with a fraud?! Or could it be a clone… another one of Mankai’s hidden mysteries?! Outwardly, Homare sighed, and went on his knees to collect the fallen bags, “My life work really is just taking care of your needs, Hisoka-kun-“

“…Arisu. Please.”

“…?”

Hisoka had a pained look on his face as he looked down at Homare. “I can smell the blood on you. I don’t know why, or how, but I can. Did Chikage hurt you? I’m going to kill him if he did.”

Homare was frowning immediately, feeling the need to defend Chikage’s honor. He stood up, and raised a hand to his own chest. “He would never.”

“You can’t trust a guy like that.” Hisoka shook his head.

“I can, and I will!” Homare yelled back, nearly biting his lip in frustration. “You’re family! How can you not trust each other?!”

Hisoka sighed, a hand moving to massage his temples as he felt the start of a headache coming. Why couldn’t Arisu _just understand_? “I just want… no, I _need_ you to be safe, Arisu. I don’t remember all parts of my past, but since I’ve met Chikage again, remnants have come back. I remember enough to know that my past wasn’t exactly… safe. And that I would be a fool to think it wouldn’t be possible for it to catch up to me. Just—”

Homare grunted when Hisoka suddenly grabbed his shoulders, pain shooting up his arm as the movement jolted his injury. “H-Hisoka-kun-“

“-Why _Chikage_?! Why didn’t you come to me first…?” his voice tapered off towards the end, overwhelmed with emotion.

“…”

Homare’s lack of response felt like someone had jammed a dull blade into his heart and twisted it. He could feel the hiccups clawing at his throat, the hysteria building up, and the burn of tears behind his eyes as the revelation hit him all at once. _He doesn’t trust you._ With all things considered, this wasn’t shocking development in the slightest. All he ever did was give Arisu extra work and heartache since he was only capable of being selfish and spoiled around Arisu.

Even with some of his memories lost, at his very core, Hisoka was lonely. It’s the most prominent feeling he’s felt all his life – the feeling of never having a place to call home and to feel safe and loved… Arisu felt like home. He had a home with August too, but it was different. He always had to fight to make sure his home was safe, and he never had a chance to let his guard down. He loves August. And he loves Arisu. Not that Arisu would ever love him back. Arisu probably thought Hisoka’s only talents were to eat marshmallows and fall asleep on will. _Arisu doesn’t trust you because you’re useless--_

“…It hurts, Arisu. You trust Chikage more than you trust me. You’re hurting me.”

“…”

The silence stretched on for a few more tense seconds (that felt like forever to Homare) before Hisoka ducked his head, and quietly left the room. Homare let out a shaky breath he didn’t know he was holding. He was doing this for Hisoka’s sake… all for his sake. Being cruel to be kind. He _had_ to be cruel to be kind… and in this case, to make sure Hisoka was _safe_. He had to ensure that, and he would suffer through whatever awkwardness that entailed.

His eyes glanced towards his cellphone when the notification sound went off. A LIME message from Itaru? He opened it.

 _Itaru_ : hey. i don’t know what happened, but i won’t ask. i, however, will ask that you switch rooms with me until repairs are finished. it’s a fair trade, right? c’mon, press the accept trade button. i can’t game or livesteam in the open, the lack of a door makes me nervous.

Homare felt guilt stirring in his gut. He should ask Hisoka first for his opinion… but this was just so _convenient_ , that he wonders if Chikage had been the one to give the idea to Itaru. He wouldn’t be surprised if that were true. _Be cruel to be kind._

 _Homare_ : Yes! Of course! ‘Twas only fair, of course. I’ll tell you where I keep all the marshmallows. Please treat Hisoka-kun well!


	2. Fight Me In The Courtyard at 2:30am

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! 
> 
> I know I said the next chapter would be out soon, and now Act 10 is out, hahaha... I actually had this chapter finished the same day I posted the first chapter, but I like hoarding my chapters until I have enough written so I can change and edit as I like. Sorry~ I'm also changing the rating to T since I think I'm posting a separate NSFW epilogue :) 
> 
> Also, a shitpost by @catboyasselin motivated me to write a ton of chapters, so I'm a degenerate now. That's all I want to say. The bio is also inspired by said shitpost. Still the funniest thing though.

Homare stared upwards at the night sky as he leaned his arms against the balcony rails, his chin cupped in his left hand. It was some marginal luck that the arm that had gotten injured was his right arm, which meant he could still write, at least.

And write, he did.

Granted, instead of the flowy, romantic words that usually bloomed out of his mouth, they were instead angsty and miserable words. Oh well… there was a market for that, as well. His editor had even suggested he try writing some darker poems, to show his ‘versatility’ as a writer.

It wasn’t hard to make the switch, even. All he had to do was close his eyes and remember the absolute look of betrayal on Hisoka’s face when Chikage (because Homare was one, big, huge, coward) told him that there would be a temporary room switch until the door was finished being repaired.

Hisoka hadn’t said anything in response. He didn’t even look at Homare, who was standing behind Chikage, and fidgeting with the ends of his borrowed t-shirt because he still hadn’t bathed at that point. He knew that Hisoka could still smell the blood, and was ashamed that the conversation was happening before he had a chance to get in the bath. Chikage had spotted Homare right before he was about to, and they were discussing the roommate exchange before _said_ _roommate_ appeared before them with a face that was clearly demanding an explanation.

Which lead to Homare’s spiral of guilt, which resulted in a lot of sighing, which resulted in an annoyed Chikage. Although, bless his heart, Homare had noticed the other man’s irritation before he actually voiced anything. Was he even going to say anything? It didn’t look like it. So, Homare had left with an excuse of needing fresh air. That was the right thing to do, right? When other people were annoyed by your presence, you should leave?

Homare sighed. What a giant mess-

“You could have stayed in the room, if you were just going to sigh out here too.”

So much for trying to have empathy and consideration for others… Homare didn’t jolt at Chikage’s sudden appearances anymore, although from a survival point of view, that wasn’t a good thing. From a friends-turned-family point of view though, Homare was happy. Chikage was a part of their family, and important to Hisoka-kun. Thus, he was important to Homare as well.

“Ah, Chikage-kun. Greetings.”

Chikage joined at him at the rails, although instead of leaning against them, he simply put his hands on them. “You shouldn’t be out in the open by yourself. You could be targeted.”

“I’ve accepted that.”

“Maybe so, but you could be smarter about it, at least.”

Homare felt his lips twitching into the beginnings of a smile, “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“… I’m not worried, but Hisoka will never forgive me if I let you get hurt again.”

_“…It hurts, Arisu. You trust Chikage more than you trust me. You’re hurting me.”_

Homare winced. Just hearing Hisoka’s name was enough to drudge up the return of terrible chest pain, memories, and dark feelings. This was probably what _heartbreak_ felt like. It might have been a sappy thought, but since being a poet gave him the right to sap out as much as he wanted to, he didn’t mind admitting it. He’s written countless poems about heartache, but all of those words felt so insufficient now to describe the feelings he was drowning in. “I hurt Hisoka-kun, though.”

“To protect him, right?”

“To protect him.” Homare agreed.

Chikage stayed silent for a few seconds, before he exhaled carefully. “…You kind of remind of someone. He was a pushy busybody who’d rather get hurt himself, as long as his family was safe. …The Director is like that too. What’s wrong with the people in this family?”

“To hear you speaking in such a fond tone – they must have been important to you. I am honored by your words.”

“…I thought Hisoka would have told you about them.” Chikage began, before he shook his head. “Let’s go inside to talk about this.”

Homare nodded, and followed after the other man. They ended up back in their room. “We haven’t had a chance to discuss in full detail about that night. If they knew… if they knew Hisoka’s ‘other name’, this is more serious than we thought. I thought that they just sent a weakling from how easily you fought them off, but…”

Homare sighed. “If we’re going to talk about this, I’m going to need you to be completely transparent with me about this too, Chikage-kun. December. They called Hisoka-kun, December.”

Chikage visibly fidgeted on the spot, which Homare had never seen the other man do before. At least, not in front of him. “…It’s not that I don’t want to be transparent, I’m trying to keep you out of our world as much as I can.”

Homare steeled his expression, and pointed a finger at the other man. “It’s too late. I decided I would be a part of your, and Hisoka-kun’s world, when I decided to carry his crimes with him. Tell me everything.”

“…Hisoka is going to kill me for this.” Chikage muttered under his breath.

“Chikage-kun.”

“Say, don’t you feel any poetic inspiration springing up…?”

“ _Chikage_.”

Chikage sighed, and held his hands up in front of his chest in a placating manner. “Of all times for you to lack inspiration… isn’t this the first time you’ve interrogated someone? But understand this. You could be doing more harm to Hisoka this way than helping him. By becoming a part of our world, you could become a liability. Do you really understand the weight of ‘carrying his crimes’? You don’t even know what his crimes are.”

“… It doesn’t matter.” Homare insisted, shaking his head. “I’m not going back on my word to Hisoka-kun. That is my resolve.”

“I’m saying all of this because you’re Hisoka’s most important person, and it would break him completely and utterly if you were gone. I… wouldn’t be able to pick up the pieces again. Not after what happened with August.”

Homare narrowed his eyes, “…You said I was just ‘quite important’ to him, Chikage-kun.”

“So I lied.”

“You could be lying now. I take that back; you’re definitely lying right now. Because, you, Chikage-kun, are Hisoka-kun’s favourite, and most important person. You’re his family.”

“…It’s difficult to explain.” Chikage answered after a moment, his fingers running through his hair. “Let’s just end this with saying he would much rather see me die than you.”

“Because I’m a civilian.”

“Because he loves you.” Chikage shot back.

Homare’s breathing was labored, and he was running out of breath. How long was he going at this argument for? “That’s a lie too. You’re losing your touch, Chikage-kun.”

“No, you’re just in denial. If you can accept nothing else I’ve said today as the truth, you can rest assured the fact that he’s completely, and stupidly, in love with you, is the truth and nothing but the truth. You are a non-replaceable component to who ‘Mikage Hisoka’ is, and what keeps him from being ‘December’. And that’s why I can’t let you be involved with our world.”

“…”

“… Let’s change your bandages.” Chikage finally said, sighing loudly, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Homare allowed himself to be guided to a chair, as Chikage pulled out the medical kit again. He worked in uneasy silence for a few minutes before Homare spoke up again.

“I love him too.”

The bandages around Homare’s arm tightened. “Then, please love him as ‘Mikage Hisoka’. Do you love the Sleepyhead, marshmallow hoarding actor? Or a dangerous man with an even more dangerous past?”

Homare smiled at this. He knew his answer, and felt it in his very bones. “… By denying his past, I am denying you, and the person that is special to you both, so I will do no such thing. I love both.”

Chikage tied off the bandages in a neat knot before leaning back in his chair. He looked Homare in the eyes, “Is that your passion speaking, or naïve ignorance?”

Homare shook his head, “Neither. It’s my love and dedication to Hisoka-kun speaking. Shall I tell you a poem of what I’m feeling right now so that you can feel the weight of my words in your very bones?” he asked, his hand moving to press against where his own heart would be.

“… Even if you end up being the cause of Hisoka’s death?”

“I won’t let that happen. You’re trying to trip me up in circles, but all you’ve done is make me more committed to protecting Hisoka-kun. That’s why, Chikage-kun…” Homare smiled suddenly, “you’re going to teach me how to defend myself. Since I’m such a weak liability right now, right?”

If Chikage was shocked about the other’s request, he didn’t show it on his face, keeping his face schooled in perfect neutrality. “… Can you at least wait until I finish writing my will?”

Homare grinned, “So you’ll do it! I… this feeling! I’m feeling so invigorated by my desire to get stronger and protect Hisoka-kun! Inspiration is welling up inside of me. I have enough inspiration to last me the entire night! Tralalala-”

“… Tell me what happened that night, first. I’m going to need to know what fake name you used, what fake company, everything.”

“Okay! The situation I used was a character study I created for one of my unfinished poems, so I remember it exactly.”

“Great, let’s hear it.” Chikage replied, leaning forward, and resting his chin on the back of his hands.

Homare was relieved, feeling like some of the tension he’s been carrying his shoulders lessened. “Of course! But you have to tell me more about your, and Hisoka-kun’s world, first. Just a little bit certainly can’t hurt!”

“…I wish I could believe in that as much you clearly do, but fine. Just a little. So, me and Hisoka are brothers. We’re part of a royal family, but Hisoka got framed by one of our jealous brothers. You see… in our family, you get to be the heir if you can make the best curry to ever exist. Hisoka, for all that he loves sweets, is terrifyingly good at making curry. Overcome with envy, our 4th oldest brother couldn’t help himself and forced Hisoka out of the family. I’m trying to become the best at creating curry so I can become the king and bring Hisoka back into the family. That’s why I’m so dedicated to curry.”

“…Please at least construct a lie that would bypass the fact I’ve tasted Hisoka-kun’s curry before.”

“Oh? How was it?” Chikage asked with not the slightest repentance at being caught up in one of his lies.

“Sweet. Instead of potatoes, he used marshmallows because their ‘shape was similar enough’.”

Chikage blanched. “Sounds like that Sleeyhead. What a complete and utter disgrace to curry.” His voice was undeniably fond though, and he was smiling.

Homare smiled in return, “This was just before you came, Chikage-kun… I wonder if subconsciously, even without his memory, he was thinking about you. He’s never been interested in eating, much less, creating spicy food before then. Not that he cooks much to start with.”

“I’m taking offence if he made sweet tasting curry while thinking of me.”

Homare’s entire body shook from his quiet laughs, “You two really act like brothers. It’s sweet, and makes me want to write sonnets about the _fresh_ brotherly love the two of you share. It’s refreshing. But Chikage-kun… will you really not tell me anything?”

“…That will have to be Hisoka’s decision. He has to be the one to tell you.”

“I’ll make him tell me,” Homare assured, a glint in his eyes. “With marshmallows!” Homare added, before triumphantly pulling a bag of marshmallows from God knows where. Chikage’s eyes widened slightly, not having expected to see Homare pull the bag out from the inside of his cardigan. Especially not with the whole avoiding-game Homare and Hisoka were playing at the minute.

“You’re still bringing those with you? Even though you and Hisoka aren’t talking right now?”

Homare peeled open the bag, and plucked a marshmallow out from the top. He inspected it carefully, “We’ve settled fights with marshmallows before.”

“Of course you have.”

“…Say ‘ahh’!” Homare grinned furiously as he tried jabbing the marshmallow in the general area where Chikage’s mouth should be, had he not been dodging it by moving his head left and right at a speed faster than Homare could match. “Oh, wow! You’re so agile, Chikage-kun! Like a furious racehorse! Dashing… jumping… exciting! Neigh, neigh, neigh be there-“

Chikage sighed, before he delicately bit the marshmallow from Homare’s fingers, and moved his head back.

“How is it?”

Chikage swallowed the confectionary with all the mannerisms of a man taking a particularly large and foul-tasting pill, and immediately blanched, “Disgusting.”

“Your lying has certainly gotten you into worser situations. Think of this as a small punishment. Your lying is what pushes people away from you, and makes you look untrustworthy. It might even be your downfall one day, just like the boy who cried wolf.”

“What an unexpectedly sharp tongue.” Chikage replied. His words were said without malice though, and with a smile on his face.

“I do trust you though, Chikage-kun.” Homare said, lips curving up into a genuine smile in return.

. 

.

.

.

.

.

“You’re not bad.”

Homare puffed his chest out in pride. “I’ve gotten much faster since Takusu is my troupemate! I could even go faster!”

“No need to overexert yourself. You’re still technically injured.”

The wind was blowing past them from the speed that were running at, Homare could feel it through his hair, his fingers, and his mind. It was like it was clearing all the angst and misery that plagued his thoughts the last few days.

“I’m _so_ inspired right now! Bright, rising sun… we’re all under the same clouds. The same wind blows through our fingers, tantalizing!”

“…The last word doesn’t really seem to fit.”

“That’s because you’re not an artist, Chikage-kun. Again, I said I could help you! I’ll show you how to completely win Itaru-san over! Or, I could help you illustrate your affection – we’ve talked about that during one of our street acts before, right?”

Chikage frowned, doubt clearly evident on his face. “Could you help me write a poem about gaming?”

“Of course!”

“That might work, then.”

The two ran in comfortable silence after that, which allowed for Homare’s mind to wander again. It’s been days since the roommate switch, and days since he’s last talked to Hisoka. Even more days if you don’t count that exchange in front of the shower, since Homare hadn’t technically said anything – like a coward. The guilt hadn’t lessened, and in fact, had grown steadily larger. He was just selfishly ignoring that guilt in favor of steeling his resolve to protect Hisoka. Still, he would have to face Hisoka soon. The repairs on the door were largely done, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the door finished repairs today.

Also… Homare’s eyes flickered over to where Chikage was. There was a nasty bruise that was blossoming on his cheek. It wasn’t noticeable due to Chikage applying some makeup on it, but Homare still remembered waking up at the crack of dawn due to some rustling. Chikage normally made no sound whatsoever – when he wanted to, which lead Homare to wondering if Chikage _had_ , on some level, wanted Homare to wake up.

That was the first time Chikage’s sudden appearance had jolted him in a while, because he was also sporting a yellow-blue bruise on his left cheek, marring his otherwise perfect complexion. He had a foundation container in one hand, and a makeup brush in another.

Homare’s first words should have been, ‘are you okay?’ or even, ‘back from a job?’ but instead, the first thing he blurted out was, “Is this a Hisoka thing?”

Chikage had sighed loudly. “Yes, he’s very irritated. Arisu-withdrawal symptoms, maybe?”

“Please don’t joke so early in the morning.”

It had been the truth though. It all started just before the crack of dawn. Hisoka’s LIME message was still flashing on his screen.

 _Hisoka_ : _Meet me in the courtyard. If you bring Arisu, I’ll sneak heaps of sugar into your curry for the rest of your life._

_Chikage’s phone had gone off at 2:30am, and he was obviously still awake. Hisoka would have known that. He quietly left the room, making sure not to wake up his sleeping roommate. When he made his way into the courtyard. Hisoka was already there and waiting for him._

_“…What are you playing at, Chikage?”_

_Chikage smiled in a friendly and placating manner. “Not much. It’s what… 2:30am? Not too much to do at this hour, unfortunately.”_

_“Bastard. You know what I mean.” Hisoka muttered, before hesitating. “Is… Is Arisu doing okay? He’s not too hurt, is he?”_

_Chikage nodded, “He’s doing fine. I dealt with his wounds.”_

_Hisoka nodded, and stayed silent for a few more seconds before he added, “…That’s good. Arisu trusts you a lot, you know. I know your nature. Don’t you dare take advantage of him.”_

_“…You look pained, Hisoka. Wish he would have went to you instead with his wounds?”_

_Chikage had a feeling it was probably the wrong thing to say, with the wrong sarcastic tone of voice, but he didn’t realize it was in ‘get-punched-by-a-170cm-midget wrong’ territory until he hit the ground, and Hisoka had fisted his shirt while glowering over him._

_“Of course I do! What the hell, Chikage?! I wish… I wish he trusted me enough for that. Like he trusts you. When… when I’m hurt, or lonely, or sad, it’s always Arisu that I want… just him. I always feel better when he’s with me. Except he’s not now… he’s with you. I don’t feel bad in the slightest for resenting you, but I’m starting to resent Arisu too, and that’s not what I want.”_

_Chikage almost rolled his eyes here. Homare, here’s the loving words Hisoka has to offer to his ‘favorite’ person and family. “What_ do _you want, then?”_

_Hisoka grit his teeth, “Give me Arisu back! You stole him from me!”_

_“Ow! Don’t punch me in the same spot, you fucking Sleepyhead! You didn’t even hold back either times!”_

Homare wasn’t sure what kind of fight Hisoka and Chikage got into, but it was clearly about a sore topic for Chikage to end up with such a nasty bruise. He didn’t even know Hisoka could get… well, _that_ violent.

“You’ve been looking at me for a while… something on my face?”

“Well, if I’m being frankly honest, yes.”

Chikage sighed, “I told you… it’s Arisu-withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms vary, but when present in lovesick assholes, it can result in the patient being a whiny bitch. Hisoka thinks I stole you from him.”

Homare frowned, “We weren’t dating if that’s what you’re trying to ask. Although… dating Hisoka-kun sounds great. I’d be overwhelmed with romantic inspiration all the time! Fufu, don’t tell him, but ever since I’ve met him, all of my published romantic poems were based off him. I didn’t even realize it at first! But when I look back at them, I was clearly thinking about him as I wrote them. Can you just imagine how much more passion my poems would have if I were _actually_ dating him?”

“Ugh, gag me with a spoon please.”

“In fact, I feel one welling up right now… even when the snow melts, my love will remain. Just as how no snowflake is alike, there is only one of you. And _you_ , my darling, are my one and only snowflake.”

“Where’s the fucking spoon?”

Homare just laughed brightly and shared more of his poems for the rest of their run, his chest feeling lighter than it had been in a while. As they got back to Veludo Way, Homare couldn’t help but yell out, “I love Hisoka-kun!”

Chikage grimaced, “I think I’ve heard that already. In at least eight different ways. Which is eight ways too many.”

Just as Homare was about to respond, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, which prompted Chikage to stop as well. Homare quickly ducked into an alleyway, and Chikage followed suit. “Homare-san…?” he asked quietly, instantly switching over to secret agent mode.

Homare frowned, and pointed to a man out in the street. “That’s him. The person who choked me.”

Chikage expertly looked from the shadows, “…I don’t recognize him. What is he doing back on Veludo Way?”

Homare frowned, and shook his head. “I’m not sure. I made sure that he ran past this street before I went back to the dorms.”

“Of course he did. He would have broken into the place that night if he hadn’t.”

“So why is he back here…?” Homare asked quietly, traces of panic creeping into his voice.

Chikage steadied a hand on Homare’s trembling shoulder until the tremors lessened. “Don’t fret yet, he might just be back since this is the last place he lost sight of you.”

The two watched from the shadows, with Homare’s hand gripping Chikage’s shirt, until the man made a vague gesture of frustration and ran off in the other direction.

“…Definitely a newbie. His superior probably forced him to come back here after they realized you gave them fake information. At this rate, his superiors will come to believe he made the entire night of interrogating you up. I’ll make sure it comes to that.”

Homare nodded, “…Okay, I’ll leave it to you then.”

Chikage paused for moment before speaking again, “I’ve been meaning to ask… but I didn’t want to cause you further duress by forcing you to analyze the situation while you were panicked. …Do you know, or think you know, how that man figured out you had relations with Hisoka?”

Homare raised an eyebrow, “That’s surprisingly considerate of you, Chikage-kun. So the frozen branch _can_ blossom into spring flowers after all.” Before Chikage could get irritated and respond with something mildly sarcastic and snappy, Homare added, “And yes, I know why. That man spotted me during my outing with Hisoka-kun.”

Chikage paused again, and his lips stretched into a thin line before he mumbled, “Hisoka is _not_ going to like that he was the reason you got injured.”

Homare shrugged, although the pain still lingered from his injury. “I bet you my left thumb there’s plenty of things he doesn’t like about me.”

“What a masochist.”

“Fufu, yes… A man with a penchant for pain.” Homare smiled, agreeing with Chikage lightheartedly as if he were agreeing that green tea _did_ pair exceptionally well with rice crackers rather than the psychosexual dynamics of his supposed crush.

“…But this makes me realize just how dangerous your, and Hisoka’s world is.”

“Feeling regret for being so hasty?”

“No. I wish to protect Hisoka-kun even _even_ more now. And protect you too, Chikage-kun. That’s called _repetition,_ by the way, it’s used in poems to emphasize certain themes. Let’s go talk to Hisoka-kun.”

Chikage snorted, “You can protect me in a few years… a few thousand years, that is. But yes. It’s time we talked to Hisoka about all of this. Let me warn you though… if you thought _I_ took the news of you wanting to be a part of our world bad, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

“…I convinced you. I’ll convince Hisoka-kun as well. I promise you that.”

Promises don’t _work_ in Chikage’s world… but being by his side like this, beat down by his conviction, Chikage felt like he could make an exception this one time. That was a lie though… it probably wouldn’t be just this one time, since this isn’t the first time this has happened either that he’s followed the other man’s whims. Chikage felt a smile twitching on his lips. He certainly chose a troublesome family to join. First, he was beat down by his precious and darling leader’s conviction when he tried to leave. To this day, he still didn’t stand a chance against Sakuya. Then, Chigasaki beat down his conviction when he was trying to rescue Citron by himself. They would need to have a talk about that one day, about how Chigasaki is only selfish and lazy at the wrong times. Don’t even get him started with the Director. And now –

Chikage had never been so happy and grateful to be so powerless in the wake of his family’s love and affection.

“Okay. I’ll hold you to that promise, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


	3. The Poet & The Spy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning/good afternoon/good evening! As an apology for how long the last chapter took to come out, here's a faster update. I'm a student, but I'm currently on a work placement, so I'm working from home full time. I'd have so much time to write if I wasn't working full time... but my work is quite interesting, so I don't mind ;D (plus it funds my expensive tastes).

Hisoka was still in the courtyard, unable to will himself to leave. His fight with Chikage was playing like a broken record in his mind. What was even the initial reason he asked Chikage to come see him? To check up on how Arisu was doing? It was probably that, and as he was waiting for the other man to show up, it probably spiralled into jealousy and anger about how he wouldn’t _have_ to ask Chikage for ‘Arisu Updates’ if he hadn’t taken Arisu from him in the first place. And then Chikage actually showed up, and Hisoka was already more than mad at that point.

He hated being in his room now. In total, he’s probably spent no more than a few hours there ever since Arisu left. It wasn’t even due to the fact that after-hours Itaru was terrifying and loud. He just didn’t like seeing someone else on Arisu’s bed. And of course, he hated the fact that Arisu wasn’t there. It just wasn’t the same without the late night scratches from his fountain pen, his nonsensical mumbles, and sudden demands for Hisoka’s attention, even if Hisoka had been asleep.

Hisoka moved to sit down on the grass, in the shadows beneath the large tree. “…I miss you, Arisu. Come back please-”

The door leading to the courtyard slammed open, and before Hisoka could turn around, he was ambushed in a tight hug from behind that had him short of breath. “-Hisokaa-kun! I’ve missed you so, so much!”

“…Can’t breathe, Arisu.”

“Oh!” Homare immediately let go of his vice grip on the shorter boy, but he was still beaming. Hisoka had to physically ground his feet into the ground to keep himself from moving forward and pulling the other man back into a hug. He had other priorities at the moment. “My apologies! Chikage-kun had me go through self-defence training, so I’m a little bit stronger now…”

Chikage held a hand up, “No, I don’t think it’s due to that-”

That had Hisoka’s attention immediately. His eyes narrowed at Homare, before he moved his head to glare at Chikage, who was leaning against the door. Smug bastard. Hisoka wanted to wipe that all-knowing smirk off his face. “What does he mean? Chikage, what does he _mean_?”

“It means that he wants to be stronger, Hisoka-”

“-And _why_ does he want that?”

Homare smiled, and took Hisoka’s hands into his own. Despite Hisoka desperately trying to keep an icy exterior, he couldn’t help but melt into the warmth of the other’s hands. He missed this. He’s always loved Arisu’s hands. They wrote beautiful and nonsensical words, fed him marshmallows, and stroked his hair when he was having trouble falling asleep again after a nightmare. But he was still so desperate for the answers he wasn’t getting.

“…Arisu. Please tell me what’s going on. In clear and certain terms. No poems, either.” Hisoka asked earnestly, tightening his hold on Homare’s hands.

Homare smiled, and suddenly… the weight of everything came crashing down on him like a tidal wave as he looked into those beautiful and expectant eyes. Hisoka was going to be so _pissed_ when he found out. Homare was so ready to do the _right thing_ that he forgot about taking Hisoka’s feelings into account. _Empathy,_ his old foe. He knew Hisoka cared about him to some level, maybe not the level Chikage was talking about, but certainly enough to be upset that he’s been hiding this from him. Gently, Homare disentangled their hands and took a step back, ignoring how Hisoka’s hands tried to grab them back. Homare’s heart stung from the other’s near-desperate motion, and the look of betrayal that followed. Homare moved his head to turn around and look at Chikage, who raised an eyebrow in response.

“Um… Chikage-kun, how should I best say it?”

Hisoka narrowed his eyes at this. His Arisu at a lost for words? This was clearly going to be news that would have him wanting to strangle Chikage, Arisu, and himself. In that order.

Chikage shrugged in response. “Something along the lines of ‘some maniac looking for you strangled me, and cut my arm open with a machete’ should do.”

Homare’s eyes widened in understanding as he hit his open palm with his fist. “Ah! I see. Concise, and leaves no room for any other interpretations. Thank you, Chikage-kun-”

“…What in the absolute fuck?” Hisoka whispered.

Homare’s smile turned tight, as he turned back to face Hisoka and tried to reach for the shorter man’s shoulders. “Hisoka-kun, I can explain-“

“ _No!_ ” Hisoka screamed, slapping Homare’s hands away, the sound nearly echoing from the silence that followed.

Homare froze, his hands falling to his sides. They both suddenly made eye contact, and Homare could suddenly pinpoint everything he had done wrong about approaching this if the frenzied (and afraid) look in Hisoka’s eyes were anything to go by.

“…It’s my fault. It’s really my fault. Arisu got hurt because of me.” Hisoka muttered, eyes falling downcast as he took trembling steps backwards.

Homare bit his bottom lip as Hisoka closed in on himself, arms wrapping against his chest in defense and his murmurs becoming more quiet and incomprehensible. It took everything in him to not move forward along with the other man. Like this, Homare wanted nothing more than to bundle Hisoka in warm blankets and feed him marshmallows by the fireplace. He was always shorter, but when he closed in on himself like this… he looked fragile.

“Hisoka-kun… I’m sorry.” Homare whispered quietly. He felt like if he spoke too loudly, the delicate moment would break, and Hisoka would close in on himself even more. Close in on himself to somewhere Homare wouldn’t be able to reach him. That fact scared him.

“This...” Hisoka’s voice cracked here, his head still lowered and eyes hidden beneath his bangs. He swallowed before trying to speak again. “This is why you trust Chikage more than me… _Dammit. Fuck._ ” He winced, rubbing at his eyes. “If only you’ve never met me… it’s all my fault. I don’t blame you for staying away, Arisu. …In fact, let’s keep it that way.”

Homare’s eyes widened, “Hisoka-kun, no-!” he yelled, reaching a hand for the other man. But it was too late, as Hisoka easily evaded the other’s hand.

“It’s over. I’m done.”

“…D-Done…?”

“I was a fool to believe that I could keep this happiness forever. You’re just the first person I’m going to hurt. I’m… I’m leaving here-”

Suddenly, Homare felt a wash of anger rushing over him. Before he knew it, he lunged at the other, and tackled him to the floor. Homare’s hands landed on either side of Hisoka’s head, effectively trapping him. Hisoka looked as shocked as Homare did that he actually managed to catch him. Hisoka’s eyes widened, and the tears that he was trying to keep in fell, sliding down his cheeks.

“I…” Homare started, his own tears starting to slide down his face, before falling off and landing on Hisoka’s cheek, and joining with the other’s tears. “I never blamed you. But how dare you..? You’re saying you’ll leave Manaki Company? You’ll leave Winter Troupe? You’ll leave Chikage-kun?”

Chikage’s head raised briefly here, from where he leaned on the door. He looked the same as he always did, but his lips were pressed into a tight line.

Hisoka’s eyes softened, his bottom lip trembling. “A-Arisu…”

Eyes narrowed, and heart burning, Homare continued through his tears. “You’re saying you’ll leave _me_? Do you really want that?”

“I…” Hisoka hesitated, eyes welling up with more tears as he remembered old memories despite him struggling not to. “I…”

“ _I don’t care much about you…”_

_“I promise to be by your side when you wake up.”_

_“I like this Arisu better.”_

“I… don’t want to leave.” Hisoka forced out, hiccupping as sobs racked his frame. He moved both his hands to cradle Homare’s face gently. “You are more important to me than you have any right to be. I love this family too. I love our troupe. I love acting. I don’t want to leave.”

“Then don’t.”

Homare leaned down and kissed Hisoka’s forehead. Being this close, he could feel the shudder that passed through Hisoka, who almost unconsciously wrapped his hands around the back of Homare’s neck to try to bring him closer. “I swear to you I will stay by your side, no matter what. I will carry your crimes with you for the rest of your life.”

“Arisu…” Hisoka breathed out, nearly inaudible, as Homare’s forehead rested against his. They simply stayed like that for a few minutes, even if both their faces were hot and sticky with tears and sweat.

A sudden cold chill blew, making Hisoka shiver slightly. He grunted quietly when he felt Homare lifting his head after who knows how long, and slim fingers that didn’t belong to him moved to gently wipe away his tears. “…Even with this tear-streaked face, you are ever so beautiful, love.”

Hisoka shuddered again, and not from the cold this time. _Love_. For all that Arisu admitted that he couldn’t understand love, outside of the word being pushed to extreme aesthetics, Hisoka hoped that the other would understand one day… would understand how warm and comforting the feeling was. How warm Arisu made _him_ feel. How warm he hoped he could make Arisu feel.

“…You aren’t making any sense. Tears aren’t beautiful. Arisu doesn’t look very pretty right now.”

“You’re so stingy with your compliments. What a spoiled lover.”

“Mm…” Hisoka’s eyes closed as he moved closer to wrap his arms around Homare’s neck. “You made me stay. I’ll be spoiled if I want to. Take responsibility, Arisu. This is… all… your… zzz...”

Homare made sure to only chuckle inwardly as he felt Hisoka’s weight shift onto him, and his face nestled into the juncture of Homare’s neck and right shoulder. It sort of reminded Homare of a particularly tsundere cat, who had finally exhausted itself after hissing and batting away any form of affection.

“…I love you, Hisoka-kun.” he whispered, before he noticed Chikage’s shadow approaching. He offered a smile at the standing man, who sighed, before bending over to carefully pick up the sleeping man into his arms.

Homare watched Hisoka sleeping for a moment before he decided to voice his thoughts. “Now that I think about it, that was a really harsh way of letting Hisoka-kun know.” he said softly. He laughed after a beat of silence, “I mean, I went with it, so clearly I’m not any better.”

“... He and I usually don’t hold back with each other. That’s how it’s always been.”

“... He makes me want to be better though. He makes me want to be soft.” Homare admitted, his eyes falling shut.

“…You didn’t tell him about your feelings. When he was awake.”

Homare laughed quietly. “I’ll have an especially special poem ready for when I tell him. Also, twenty bags of limited-edition almond, chocolate-crunch marshmallows.” he explained, making the victory sign with his fingers as he winked.

“…I mean, he’ll take them, don’t get me wrong. But you don’t need them. Did you see how annoyed he was when you kissed his forehead instead of on his lips? It probably wasn’t noticeable, but he narrows his left eyebrow whenever he’s mildly inconvenienced. LOL. Oh fuck. What did I just say..?”

Homare hid his smile behind his hand, “What ever _did_ you say, Chikage-kun?”

“Nothing you’ll speak of to anyone, not if you want to ever wax poetry again with your own mouth.”

“Fufufu… wouldn’t that be something. You’d force Hisoka-kun to say poetry for me?”

“… Never mind. That seems horrifying. But you’ll still never speak of this to anyone, especially not to Chigasaki.” Chikage smirked menacingly, a bit annoyed that whatever brand of stupidity Homare had apparently made him immune to threats dished out by the taller male.

“...Fufu.”

“Oi-“

As they entered the common room, Taichi suddenly perked up upon sighting them. “Homare-san! Chikage-san! Good news! The door to Chikage-san’s, and Itaru-san’s room is finally done! You can move back in now!”

Chikage smiled and shook his head, albeit with fondness, “Another ‘!!!’ type, huh…”

Homare smiled, “Thank you, Taichi-kun. I’m sure being back in my own room will open up my creative outlets. Although, I must admit, a _new_ sort of creativity filled me up when I roomed with Chikage-kun. It was great fun getting to bond with Chikage-kun!”

“…You’re never hanging with Chikage again.”

“Careful, Hisoka, you’re heavy. I might accidentally drop you.”

“Bastard-”

Homare grinned as he turned around, “Ah… our sleeping beau has finally awoken, hmm?”

It wouldn’t have been something out of the normal, according to everyone else in the common room, and neither was the hand that moved to cradle Hisoka’s face, but the way Hisoka’s eyes visibly softened, and how he held back from any sarcastic quips, _was_ very much out of the blue.

Taichi’s eyes glistened, “Homare-san is so _charming_ and _mature_! That must be popular with the tsun-tsun types, huh…” he murmured the last part, quickly bringing out his notepad to jot down notes.

“…Stop looking at me.”

“Shut up, hack. Tsun-tsun hack.”

“Why you-!”

Hisoka grimaced, resisting every urge to burrow his head into Chikage’s chest to escape the noise. “Put me down Chikage, I want to sleep in my room.”

“Alright, sleeping princess.”

That earned him a slap on the arm, which Chikage retaliated for by crouching until he was a foot above the ground, and dropping Hisoka unceremoniously.

“You fucker-”

“Not in front of the kids, Hisoka-kun!” Homare smiled, placing a hand over Hisoka’s mouth. That smile quickly turned into a frown of pain. “Ouch! Don’t bite me, Hisoka-”

“-You lot. Some people are trying to do some work. Be quiet… or I’ll _make_ you be quiet.” Sakyo’s ominous voice suddenly threatened, glasses glistening as if promising a prolonged death if he was disobeyed. The common room instantly fell quiet, some of the kids averting their gazes under the animosity.

“And _you_.” Sakyo suddenly had his attention at the man lying hazardously on the floor. “Kick down another door, and I’m kicking you into your grave.”

“…Zzzz…”

“He fell asleep!” Taichi yelled, hands rising to his mouth in shock.

“Be quiet, Nanao. …I’m too old for this.” he sighed, moving his hand to massage his temples as he felt a headache developing.

“…You can say that again.”

“Shut it, bon.”

.

.

.

.

.

.

When Hisoka woke up again, it was already dark in his room. His eyes were adjusting to the dark, but they widened when he heard familiar, soft breathing coming from the other bed.

His eyes softened when he caught sight of the red hair. “Arisu…” he murmured, moving closer to the edge of his bed, so he was close enough to stroke the other’s hair.

Homare’s eyes snapped open the second Hisoka placed his hand on his head, “W-Whah…” he gasped, sitting up and head whipping over to the direction of Hisoka’s bed. Upon noticing Hisoka’s startled expression, Homare’s shoulders lost some of their tension. “Oh…”

Hisoka immediately pulled back his hand, which was still outreached, face burning slightly in shame. “…I didn’t mean to wake you up. You’re normally more of a heavy sleeper.”

Homare blinked owlishly for a few seconds, before a smile spread on his lips. “My… you must mess with me quite a bit in my sleep to know that, don’t you, Hisoka-kun?” he asked good-naturedly. When Hisoka didn’t respond and just bore his eyes into the side of the wall instead, Homare thought he could get away with not having to explain his reaction.

“…Are you nervous because of that night?”

Homare’s eyes widened, and he watched as Hisoka slowly turned his head back to look him in the eye. They were silent for a few seconds, before Homare nodded once. He was curious how Hisoka would respond at the admittance.

What he _didn’t_ expect was for Hisoka to hold his arms open. “…Come here, Arisu?”

Homare couldn’t help it. He laughed. He laughed so hard he had to cover his mouth with his sleeve to make sure it was muffled, and wouldn’t disturb the others (Sakyo). The other man just sounded so _uncertain_. “I never expected the day would come that _you_ would try to comfort me, Hisoka-kun.”

Hisoka flushed more heavily, but his arms remained raised. “I’ll go back to sleep if you don’t hurry, Arisu.”

Smiling still, Homare carefully climbed over the ledge that separated their beds, and exhaled softly as he settled into Hisoka’s arms. Hisoka pulled the blanket over them both, before returning the arm to hold the taller male tightly.

Homare suddenly flinched and made a noise of discomfort when pain shot up his injured arm. Hisoka immediately let go, and would have sat up, had Homare not grabbed the other man’s sleeve. “W-Wait. I’m fine. Sorry. Don’t get up, Hisoka-kun.”

Hisoka scrutinized the other man, before sighing quietly and nodding. “Tell- no… show me exactly where your injuries are.”

Homare nodded, and pointed to his injured arm. “I’m injured here. In this spot. As long as you don’t touch it specifically, the rest of my arm is okay. And um… my neck has gotten better. But it’s still bruised.” he explained, gesturing to the scarf that covered his neck.

Homare watched with rapt attention as Hisoka gently trailed his fingers against the borrowed scarf he was wearing. “This… I’ve thought this the entire time, but it really doesn’t suit you.”

“Really? I think it matches my complexion.”

“…”

“Hisoka-kun, you really don’t need to look _that_ annoyed.”

“… I was the one who gave Chikage this scarf. It was for his 24th birthday.”

That had Homare’s attention. He carefully moved his hand to stroke the fabric. “So that’s what Chikage-kun meant… this really is precious.” he murmured, before he grabbed the ends of the scarf and pressed it to his lips. “And it will be returned eventually, so please stop glaring at it, Hisoka-kun.”

“…Don’t go kissing other people’s stuff…” Hisoka muttered with an unimpressed look on his face. Before Homare could complain about Hisoka being a stingy lover, Hisoka pulled the blanket over the two of them again. This time, he made sure to be more careful by wrapping his arm underneath of Homare’s injured arm instead of over it. He grunted as he shifted into a more comfortable position. “… Is this okay, Arisu?”

Homare beamed, “Yes! Thank you, Hisoka-kun.”

Hisoka exhaled softly in response. It was silent for a few moments before Hisoka spoke again, in a softer tone of voice. “…I’m here if you want to talk. …It must have been hard, Arisu.”

Homare thought carefully about how to answer, before pushing the words out like they were particularly bitter tasting. “… It was hard.”

Admitting _that_ in of itself was hard. It was already hard enough to express himself half of the time, even to Winter Troupe and the Director. It had gotten easier over time, and he has irreplaceable bonds with them, but it still remained a fact that he didn’t like expressing the side of him that made others… well… feel not great. It was better to play the part of the prodigious poet, even when his poems made the others chuckle from confusion. All of that was easier than explaining how sometimes, he still felt like he wasn’t enough, or that he was scared he was going to be alone again, that he was going to hurt someone’s feelings and _they wouldn’t want anything to do with him anymore_ -

“I’m sure it was hard. It sounded traumatic. It’s okay that you feel that way. I’ll do my best to make sure you’re safe. Everyone in Mankai loves you, so… we’ll all definitely protect you, Arisu. Winter Troupe in particular.”

Homare was smiling before he knew it. He wasn’t as nervous anymore, and as Hisoka’s warmth settled into his bones, he could feel himself starting to relax. “Winter Troupe in particular? That includes you, dear Hisoka-kun.”

“Yes, I know.” Hisoka responded, before his eyes fell shut. “I would die for you. Always.”

That had Homare’s heart beating faster, because that wasn’t just one of Hisoka’s tired mumbles when he wanted to end the conversation and fall asleep. Because Hisoka _wasn’t_ falling asleep right now. His eyes were closed, but his breathing was steady, and so was his voice. He had meant every word of it.

“T-That’s… kind of you, Hisoka-kun. Well, it would be a lie, I suppose, if I said I wouldn’t do the same for you.”

“I _know_ , Arisu, you nearly _did_ die because of me.”

“Oh right. I guess it’s not that hard of a decision to make when I think about it that way. About me protecting you.”

Hisoka didn’t respond immediately, and just tightened his hold on the other instead. After a few minutes of silence, when Homare was about to settle back into sleep, Hisoka spoke up. “…Why can’t you just think about yourself first before throwing yourself into dangerous situations? God, Arisu, I’m trying not to freak out because you need the comfort more than I do but when I think about you not coming back… I…”

Homare listened attentively, and hummed encouragingly for Hisoka to continue when it looked like the other was swallowing his own words.

“…It makes me wish that we never met. That you could be cherished by someone less dangerous than me.”

“…I’ve never been cherished, not really.” Homare started after a few beats of silence. “I told you, about the past lover I made cry. I try _so hard_ but sometimes it seems like the more I try to help, the angrier people get at me, and I… I love being cherished by you. By Winter Troupe, and the rest of the company. …Please allow me to rectify. _Thank you_ for cherishing me, Hisoka-kun. I cherish you very much too. And I’m so glad and grateful that I got to meet you. I could never wish for us to not meet. It was like fate. I feel drawn to you.”

“…Too sappy, Arisu.”

Homare smiled, and gently played with a few strands of Hisoka’s hair. “You make me want to be sappy. …Thanks for comforting me, and putting up with me. Hold out a little longer, won’t you, Hisoka-kun?”

“Arisu is high-maintenance.” Hisoka murmured, but his words were undoubtedly dripping with fondness, and so was the kiss he pressed onto Homare’s forehead.

Homare blushed upon the light touch, but felt his fist clench beneath the blanket. He supposes this was the frustration that Chikage was referring to earlier. Ah, but he could-

“The calm, sleeping breaths of the king are poetry. Under the briar rose, I bid you to-“

“Zzzz….”

“Noo…” Homare whined pitifully (but quietly) into Hisoka’s hair. Having his vision obstructed by the strands of silver hair, he completely missed the smile that curled on Hisoka’s lips. When sleep finally overtook Homare, Hisoka’s eyes snapped open.

Briefly, he wondered if this would be enough to wake Arisu up, as he pressed a gentle kiss to the other man’s lips. Besides a quiet exhale when Hisoka pulled back, Homare did not wake up.

“Looks like you’re not as nervous anymore, Arisu… good night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've thought about this quite a bit... but Hisohoma is a really weird ship for me to like. And how much I like it is weird too. Like... it's just WHOLESOME. And I've never actively shipped a wholesome ship before. All my other ships, and what I'm usually drawn to, is the enemies-to-lovers, can and will beat each other up, type. So basically Juza x Banri (they are wholesome in a different way). I do adore them too, obviously, but I'm not writing a 20k+ words multi-fic for them (yet) (I'm not sure how long WTMF will end up being though) (what an ugly acronym, I should have thought this through better).
> 
> A part of me thinks it's because Hisohoma just had like, 15 works in English when I looked the first time? And I got rlly angry??? Now I'm fueled by spite. Anyway thanks for reading, love you all so much <3 thank you for all the kudos & comments!


	4. Hot Choccy Ki**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another fast update - the fastest one yet at 2 days after the last update, actually. I just couldn't stand re-reading and nitpicking this chapter for the 34544th time when I have other chapters to do that for (ahhahahelpmeahaha). I don't know if you've noticed, but fun fact - outside of my ugly key smashing, I'm quite anal about grammar for my own works. 
> 
> Also, thank you @Astroy_A3 for sharing this work on Twitter <3 I love your art so much! Another fun fact - It was actually Nonomiya x Franz artwork on Pixiv that started my Hisohoma obsession. I like to divide my life as Before Pixiv and After Pixiv because let me tell you, Hisohoma is quite popular in Asia unlike coughfifteenworkscough. I hope you enjoy reading!

The sunlight filtered in through the window, casting warm rays into room 205. Just outside the window, a pair of birds landed on the windowsill, and chirped a merry tune. Upon hearing the chirping, Homare reluctantly felt his eyes open. His eyes flickered to where the clock on the wall _should_ have been, but he found it instead on the opposite side of the wall instead. “That’s strange.” he murmured, as he looked around. By the time he realized he was in Hisoka’s bed, it was too late, he had woken one irritated Sleeyhead up. Homare shrieked when his arms were suddenly immobilized. “H-Hisoka-kun?! I didn't give you any marshmallows though?!”

Hisoka grunted, tightening his grip on Homare, encasing the man an uncomfortable hug. Luckily, it wasn’t hurting his injured arm, but it still wasn’t comfortable.

“…Go back to sleep, Arisu… ‘s Saturday.”

“It’s _7:15am_.”

“…Zzzz…”

“Ugh. How does he tolerate living like this? Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise, after all. I, of course, am a prime example of that.” he muttered to himself, as he attempted to maneuver his way out of Hisoka’s arms. Either Hisoka had fallen into deep sleep, or had decided that sleep was more worthwhile than fighting to keep Homare stuck to his side, but Homare managed to detangle himself with a fair amount of ease.

Carefully, as to not accidentally hit or step on Hisoka, he moved back to his own bed. When he landed, he raised a hand to cover the yawn that escaped his mouth. He blinked. Just how late had he and Hisoka stayed up last night? He was certainly feeling… tired. He peered back at the clock. 7:20am. Well… it’s not exactly like he had plans. He shuffled himself underneath his blanket, and drifted off to sleep immediately. 

“Seriously…? You woke me up just to go sleep in your own bed?”

“Zzzz…”

“Stupid Arisu.”

Any irritation that Hisoka felt was outweighed by his need to go back to sleep, and soon enough, he fell back asleep. They both slept for hours until knocking on the door woke Homare up.

“Hello? Who is it?” Homare finally asked, when he realized that all Hisoka was going to do was throw his blanket over his ears and curl into a ball until the knocking stopped. Which, it didn’t seem like it was going to stop at anytime without an answer from one of them.

“Hello! It’s Omi. I just wanted to ask if it’s okay if you two found your own lunch today. They asked me to cover for someone who’s sick, and I won’t have time to prepare anything, sorry!”

Homare’s breath caught in his throat. Lunch..? Hesitatingly, he looked at the clock. His eyes widened, before he forced himself to grit out a response. “Thank you for letting us know, Omi-kun! Yes, me and Hisoka-kun can definitely manage, no need to worry!”

“Great! I’ll see you later then.”

As Homare listened to Omi’s fading humming, he groaned quietly to himself. _11:14am_. No wonder Omi had sounded cheerful, but confused. While Hisoka could easily sleep to, or past, noon, Homare was usually up and ready by 7:30am most days. 8:00am, sometimes, on the weekends. His job didn’t dictate the need for him to go into any office outside of editor meetings, but he enjoyed the routine of waking up at a decent hour.

Hisoka’s breathing had evened out by the time Homare finished getting ready and dressed. As he peered at Hisoka’s sleeping form, he just shook his head, and he pulled out his phone instead.

 _Homare_ : Good morning, Chikage-kun. Omi-kun just informed me that we would be getting our own lunch today. Hisoka-kun is still sleeping, would you bestow me the honour of getting lunch with you? We can leave some leftovers for him for when the sleeping beauty wakes up. 

Chikage’s response came in a few seconds. Homare smiled uneasily. He was certainly attached to his phone, at all times.

 _Chikage_ : Good morning, Homare-san. My apologies, I’m already out. Chigasaki is making me go to a themed café with him for lunch. You could join us, if you would like?

 _Homare_ : It’s no concern at all! I will make do with Hisoka-kun instead. I’ll await your presence later. 

_Chikage_ : See you then. 

So Homare had said, but… As he looked at the other’s sleeping form, he sighed. His best bet would probably be to find someone else to go out for lunch with and just bring back some leftovers for Hisoka.

“Hisokaa-kun?” he tried, which the other responded to with an irritated grunt, that may or may not have been fully conscious. Homare pulled out a bag of marshmallows and opened it, letting the scent waft into the air. “I’m going out for lunch; did you have a preference for leftovers?”

“…’m..ing.”

“Cumin? You want Indian food? That’s new. Perhaps Chikage-kun really is rubbing off on you?”

Hisoka lifted his head and levelled Homare with a nasty glare. “I said, I’m coming. With you.” he repeated, before his face fell back onto his pillow.

Homare frowned, especially when he felt his stomach rumble. “That’s kind of you, Hisoka-kun, but I was actually planning on going right now. Since you’re still sleeping, I’ll-”

Before Homare could finish his sentence, Hisoka got up, wordlessly scaled down the ladder, and took Homare’s bag of marshmallows from his hands. He then reached into Homare’s closet and pulled out the first three things he saw, went into the bathroom, and came back out in five minutes. “I’m ready, let's go.” he murmured. However, instead of his normal hoodie, he was wearing a black turtleneck and black pants to match, with a gray suit jacket.

Homare laughed, “Are you cosplaying Nonomiya from Nocturnality? It would appear that my clothing is a little large on you. Before you choose to make a smart aleck on that, it's because I'm taller than you. Or as Chikage-kun would say,” Homare paused here to properly adopt Chikage’s mannerisms, including his signature smirk, “What a tall order from an awfully short midget.”

Hisoka gave Homare an unfazed look, “...Not bad. You're making my blood boil.”

“...That's… thank you, I suppose?” Homare replied hesitatingly, before he grinned brightly, “Cosplay… I've never done it before, so I'm getting excited. Shall I dress up as Franz then after all?”

Hisoka frowned, “Shut up, Arisu. It’s to help me stay undercover. If I wear clothing that I wear a lot when I’m out, it’s easier for someone who’s looking for me to spot me. If you dressed up as Franz, we'd be getting weird looks the entire time.”

“Aw, what an awfully boring reason. If we’re going by that logic though, I’ll wear this trench coat. It has a hood.” Homare responded, slipping the gray trench coat on, and tying it at his waist.

Hisoka ignored him, and instead grabbed the other man’s hand, which probably shut Homare up better than any retort could have, if the rising blush on his face was anything to go by. Hesitantly, Homare wrapped his fingers around the hand he was holding as Hisoka lead them out of their room.

When they got to Veludo Way, it was warm, and people surrounded them on the busy street. Hisoka’s hand still hadn’t let go, and Homare was starting to feel like he wouldn’t be letting go anytime soon. Which, of course, was more than fine for him.

“So, Hisoka-kun, where would you like to eat? I’ll treat you.”

With his free hand, Hisoka covered his mouth when he yawned. “Anywhere is fine.”

“Then… Indian food after all?”

“I’ll divorce you.” Hisoka deadpanned.

Homare couldn’t help laughing boisterously into the sleeve of his free hand. “Well, I wouldn’t want that, now would I?” he responded in between his fits of laughter. Wiping a tear from his eye, he added, “Let’s go to a café that Tsumugi-kun suggested then. They have marshmallow-inspired drinks.”

“Mm.” Hisoka nodded, letting the other man drag him off in the direction of the café. They simply enjoyed the feeling of holding hands and wandering the streets together. If Homare had to be honest, it felt kind of like… they were a couple. He flickered his eyes down to where Hisoka was walking beside him, although he still looked weary and tired.

“Not enough sleep for my sleeping beau?” he smiled.

Hisoka grunted and shook his head. “I like being awake during the night more than being awake during the day.”

“You say that as if Tasuku-kun doesn’t have to pull you off roadsides and random roofs during his 4am runs.”

Hisoka yawned. “He should have left me. I know how to get back to the dorms.”

Homare chuckled affectionately, before he made a grand gesture of his arm at the approaching café. “Behold~ The widely-acclaimed, ‘stylish café by the gaming centre’ that both Tsumugi-kun and Banri-kun adore! What do you think?”

“It looks… normal.”

“Fufu… you certainly have odd tastes, Hisoka-kun.”

“You’re the one person I don’t want to hear that from.”

They both entered, and were promptly greeted by a hostess that just smiled a bit too eagerly at the both of them. “Hello! Welcome to our café. Please seat yourselves, and I’ll bring you a menu. Um… also, you two are dressed very nicely. It’s very cute.”

Homare smiled, “Thank you very much.” he responded, and Hisoka ignored her in favor of nearly falling asleep on the side of Homare. When she left them, Homare hummed inquisitively. “I suppose we _are_ matching with the gray and black. Monochromatic isn’t usually my style, though. We look like a couple, fufu.”

“…You think that our clothes make us look like a couple?”

“Does it bother you? It’s too late to change clothes now, Hisoka-kun.”

Hisoka stayed quiet for a few moments, before shaking his head. "... It doesn't bother me. We look too weird when we’re together anyway, so no one would think that we're a couple." he answered. He then stealthily peered at Homare from underneath his bangs, as if he was about to guage the other's reaction, "...When I think about being a couple with Arisu, my ears hurt."

“Ah, we wouldn't want that, now would we?" Homare replied with a smile. Homare's acting skills were definitely top-notch now, but Hisoka could still sense that something was off with his smile. "Let's stop holding hands then.”

When Homare tried to separate their hands, he just received an icy glare for his efforts. “…You're so troublesome.” Hisoka sighed loudly, ignoring Homare’s whining at the harsh words, and dragged them both off to a booth, which was out of the way of any windows. When Homare tried to let go of the other’s hand again, Hisoka made a grunt similar in sound to one of a rabid animal, so Homare just went along with the other’s whims and sat next to him instead of across from him.

The hostess from earlier spotted them, and placed a menu in front of them. “If you have any questions, please ask me. Do you know what you would like to order?”

“Yes, one cup of Earl Gray for me, and one of your… supersized, fun-tastic marsh marsh explosion hot cocoas please. For this one.” Homare smiled, gently poking a finger into Hisoka’s cheek, who was slumped against Homare’s shoulder. “As for food… this sweet egg omelet, and this carrot salad. And one of these carrot cakes too.”

“Zzz…”

“He fell asleep again?!”

The hostess grinned knowingly, and collected their menus. “Would you like two straws for the cocoa?”

Homare laughed. “I’m not too sure if my sleepy friend over here would acquiesce to sharing, but sure. Thank you.”

The hostess frowned slightly at the word ‘friend’, but it was quickly replaced with a smile as she collected their menus. “I’ll be right back with your order.”

The drinks were brought out first, and after thanking the hostess, Homare gently nudged the top of Hisoka’s head with his cheek. “Wake up, Hisoka-kun. Your drink is here.” he said. When the other man didn't wake up, he poked Hisoka’s cheek repeatedly. “Wake up, poke poke. You can smell the marshmallows, can't you?”

“Nng.” Hisoka muttered. He slowly rubbed at his eyes to ease into waking up fully. “…There’s two straws. Is Arisu trying some?”

“Would you let me?”

“… It might be too sweet for Arisu.”

Homare nodded. “That’s true. Will you try it out for me first?”

Hisoka did so obligingly, drinking up the sweet concoction in no time flat.

Homare smiled knowingly, his eyes falling shut. “I knew it! You didn’t want to share, I-” The rest of his sentence got swallowed up when Hisoka pressed forward and kissed Homare. It was gentle, and over in just a couple of seconds.

Hisoka licked his own lips once he returned to his seat, “…How was that?”

“...U-Um… it was good. It wasn’t too sweet. I-I mean…”

Homare jolted in place when the hostess returned, and placed down their order. “Here you are! Did you need a refill for the cocoa?”

Homare flushed red until his face was starting to match his hair and he shook in place. The hostess just took slow steps away from the two when it looked like neither of them were going to say anything. “O-Okay! Please let me know if you change your mind.”

The rest of the meal was eaten in companionable silence, but they continued holding hands under the table. When it came time to pay, Homare started to pull out his wallet to grab his card, but was instead beat by Hisoka, who put down some wads of cash on the table.

“H-Huh? How- where-”

“Thank you for your patronage! I hope you have a good rest of your date!” the hostess smiled, retrieving the bill and cash.

Homare could only nod hastily, especially when Hisoka started pulling him along to leave. “Y-yes, thank you! I hope you have a good rest of your day too!”

The two left the café, with the shorter of the two dragging the taller one out. The hostess giggled quietly, “…That’s not what I said, though…”

Once Hisoka and Homare were outside of the café, Hisoka immediately pulled them into an alleyway. Homare, having already ducked into too many alleyways in his life, followed along without questioning it.

“…That man… I saw him wandering around. He looked like he was looking for something… or someone. He walked past one of the windows a few times, but he didn’t see us. Is it him? He looks… rough.”

Homare’s eyes widened when he spotted familiar bush of dark hair. He immediately pulled the hood of his trench jacket over his head. “What a persistent cockroach…” he muttered to himself, hand gripping tighter on Hisoka’s hand. When that person started to turn in their direction, Homare did the only thing he could think of. He moved in front of Hisoka, and leaned down so that their lips were mere centimeters from each other. He thanked the above powers that he was taller than Hisoka, which allowed him to comfortably hide the other man with his added height.

“Arisu?”

“Shh… it’s okay, I’ll protect you. I promise.” Homare whispered, hands delicately cradling the other man’s face. Still, Homare’s cheeks were burning from the close proximity. Hisoka’s eyes flickered to the small space between Homare’s shoulder and where the hood started covering his neck.

“Ah… Chikage just decapitated him.” he started monotonously.

“That’s impossible, it’s a busy street, and-”

“-Hello.”

The sudden voice startled Homare, who yelped, and forgetting how close he was to Hisoka, accidentally tripped against the other’s leg, and caused them both to fall over.

“ _Ow._ You suck at protecting me, Arisu.” he muttered, even if he had purposely tried to make Homare fall on top of him to make sure he wouldn’t get too hurt. He had a hand wrapped protectively against the back of Homare’s head, and the other to stabilize the other’s injured arm.

“My apologies, Hisoka-kun.” Homare responded, gritting his teeth against the pain that blossomed in his arm from the jarring fall, although Hisoka’s grip on it spared it from any additional pain. Hisoka just stared blankly in response. As Homare was about to get up, Hisoka sat up, and carefully picked Homare up in his arms.

“I-I can walk!” Homare protested, a hand moving to shove at Hisoka’s face from both reflex and embarrassment.

“You lost your walking privileges since you can’t even stand properly without falling over.” he retorted, his left eyebrow narrowing in annoyance from the hand that was being shoved into his face. “... Stop shoving my face Arisu, or I'll drop you.”

Homare huffed, and hid his burning face in both of his hands as he resigned himself to being princess carried, never mind the fact that he’s lost count of how many times he’s carried Hisoka the exact same way. His eyes suddenly snapped open when the realization dawned upon him. “W-Wait, Chikage-kun, you didn’t _actually_ -”

Chikage smiled pleasantly, all business-like. “I took care of it. Like I said I would.”

“Wait, no- Chikage-kun-”

From the shadows of the alley, Itaru strolled out onto the main street with his hands covering his eyes. “Senpai? Is the sudden, time-sensitive side quest over yet?”

“Yes, Chigasaki.”

Homare just shuddered, and wrapped his arms tighter around Hisoka’s neck. “They’re so scary, Hisoka-kun…” he whined.

“…You’re the scary one, Arisu.”

“Personally, I’m inclined to agree with Hisoka for once.”

“LMAO, ditto. GG, Homare-san.”

“Stop!!”

.

.

.

.

.

.

That evening, when Homare had finished bathing, and dressed himself in his pajamas, he couldn’t help but glance over at his unbandaged arm. Chikage had taken out the stiches some time back, and it was just a thin and pink scar now – which still hurt when he put pressure on it, but otherwise, he was allowed to get away with leaving it unbandaged. Despite the slight twinge of pain that came with doing so, Homare preferred to carry Hisoka around himself most of the time, instead of asking, say, Chikage or Tasuku for help. He liked the way that Hisoka would let down his guard completely in his sleep, and try to snuggle closer when he got cold.

He closed his eyes as he stepped onto the balcony, letting the chill autumn breeze wash over him. A lot had happened, certainly… but he couldn’t bring himself to regret any of it. The weight of having so much to protect didn’t bother him because… he didn’t even have anything he wanted to protect in the past. There was his grandmother and mother, yes, but they were always so independent and self-sufficient. With that, and how well-off they were, created some distance.

With Winter Troupe… with Hisoka… he could be vulnerable, and they would always be there for him. If he were to fall apart, he knew they would painstakingly pick up the pieces and help put the _broken_ him back together.

After all, they even accepted wholeheartedly the _broken_ _cyborg_ of a man the current Homare Arisugawa was.

He turned his head when he heard someone push open the door leading to the balcony. Homare was smiling before he was even conscious of doing it. “Hello, Hisoka-kun. Not asleep yet?”

Hisoka shook his head, and joined Homare at the railings. They stood in companionable silence for a few minutes. “… I didn’t get a chance to say this earlier.” Hisoka murmured softly, his voice tinged with sleep. He placed his left hand overtop of Homare’s right hand, which was braced against the railing. Homare turned his head to face the shorter male, and smiled encouragingly for him to continue.

“…Thank you for protecting me.”

Homare’s smile grew bigger. “Of course! I’ll always protect you, Hisoka-kun. You don’t need to thank for me for something like that. I’m happy to do it.”

“… I will too.”

“Hmm?” Homare encouraged.

Hisoka let his head fall against Homare’s shoulder. “I’ll protect you for the rest of my life too. So… stay by my side, Arisu… because I need you."

It felt strangely like a vow of sorts to Homare. He pressed a kiss to the top of Hisoka’s head. “I need you too. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, Hisoka-kun. … If Winter Troupe is brought together by fate, then you and I must be soulmates.”

“... Zzzzz.”

Homare couldn't help but smile nevertheless, and felt fondness seeping out of his heart, which made him feel warm all over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twitter may have saved this work, but it nearly killed it again. No one told me my Twitter name was the same as my AO3 handle T.T I feel like a creeper now since all I did was not talk and serial like people's posts, even when they were literally talking about me sjfdfjfklfjd this isn't how I wanted to make my first appearance, this so NOT a vibe!!11
> 
> Anyway, memorize the chapter b4 the delete button b looking real cute again .·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.
> 
> Just kidding, I'm pretty sure even fire wouldn't kill this work at this point. Thank you for reading!


	5. Anti Arisu Club

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ⚠⚠⚠ WARNING: Starting this chapter, and any new chapters onward, there will be spoilers for Scarlet Mirror. I think you could probably get away with still understanding even if you don't read it (you can read in English on yaycupcake!), but for complete comprehension, I recommend reading the event story. 
> 
> P.S. Homare... is such a senior citizen. He turns 30 next February <3
> 
> P.S.S. yee this is another fast update... but I'm working on Chapter 10, and I got bored thinking about all the tea ya'll are missing out on 🍵 also, this chapter is 5k+ words <3
> 
> P.S.S.S. Hisohoma isn't a rare pair anymore... but they used to be back in May (never forget... (I'VE never forgotten....coughfifteenworkscough)). Anyway, happy A3 rarepair week!!

Homare smiled to himself as he maneuvered himself through waves of people on Veludo Way. It was getting dark out, but not too late that the streets would become barren of people.

In his hand, he had his notebook that he kept for whenever inspiration hit. Inspiration that was… hitting him right now. His eyes sparkled as he spotted the silhouette of someone leaning against the wall of one of the cafes on Veludo Way, who was holding a cup of coffee in their hands.

He walked closer, but slowed his approach when the other man shifted his attention to him as he came within their personal space. “Good evening.” Homare greeted, holding up his notebook. “I’m a poet, and you are simply making me brim with inspiration. Could you spare me a little bit of your time?” Homare asked, leaning against the wall of the café as well, but maintaining a respectful distance.

The man was silent for a few moments, before he nodded with a small smile. “Sure, I guess. This place is awfully boring. A little conversation will help curb my boredom.”

Homare nodded, and flipped open his notebook. “Then… do you believe in fate?”

“Do you?”

Homare chuckled to himself, “An eye for an eye, huh..? Fate. As a writer, and a poet nevertheless, one would assume that I love the notion of certain things being meant to be. Well... in the past, things would never really work out for me. I just couldn’t connect with others. But now… I found my family. And I’d like to believe fate lead me to them. Because someone like me doesn’t deserve them, but maybe a higher power above had pity on me, and thought otherwise.”

“… Found your family thanks to fate, huh…” he murmured, eyes closing. “I don’t believe in fate. I believe we are creations of our own decisions.”

Homare continued smiling, and looked at the sky. “I see, I see… Perhaps, I am overstepping my boundaries as to say this, but you sounded faintly melancholic when you said the word ‘family’. Are you missing your family?”

The other man stayed quiet for a moment, before he shook his head. “I think you imagined it. I have a relatively normal family. I have both my parents, and a brother.”

“That’s interesting. I don’t have any siblings, so admittedly, I am slightly envious.”

“…There’s nothing to be envious about. They can be annoying, too much of a busybody for their own good, too familiar, too gullible, and… so many other things. If fate really did exist, he wouldn’t-” he said, before cutting himself off, “…He always seemed like the main protagonist of some story, where the fates would have loved him.”

Homare turned his head to look at the other man, who was staring pointedly at the crowd in front of them. “I see... The fates can certainly be cruel at times.”

The other man exhaled softly, and pushed himself off the wall. “No, like I said… I don’t believe in fate. We are creations of our own decisions… and that man... never mind. Good evening.”

“Good evening. I hope you find happiness in your path.”

Homare watched as the other man left, almost in a trance, and looked back at his notebook. The only thing Homare ended up writing was: ‘I wish things could have been different between us’.

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“Don’t talk to strangers anymore.”

Homare frowned as he rested his chin on his open palm. “Chikage-kun, you may be blissfully ignorant, but I actually am in fact, an adult.”

“I find that hard to believe sometimes…”

“Chikage-kun, that’s rude.”

Chikage sighed and nearly seemed to sink into the couch with the weight of his worries and stress. “Of all the people you had to find ‘interesting’… no wait, I really _shouldn’t_ be surprised. You’re literally sitting here with me. You’re in love with Hisoka. You two are giving me so many gray hairs, by the way.”

Homare smiled in amusement at the other’s suffering, and brought out his notebook. “He piqued my artistic interest. He just looked _unique._ I wrote down any notes I could garner from him, but in the end, I only wrote one sentence: ‘I wish things could have been different between us’. I didn’t tell him that was what I had gotten from him though. I have a feeling he wouldn’t have appreciated it.”

Chikage seemed to be debating something in his head before he finally chose to voice out his thoughts. “…What kind of guy do you think he is?”

“I was under the impression that you know exactly who I met. I could feel someone following me home after they left, and you were _coincidentally_ at the door, rearranging your shoes when I came back home. How did you even manage to follow me and get back home before I did-?”

“-Cheat codes and cheat skills.” Itaru answered, which had Homare snapping his head to the right as the other came into the common room. The gamer was playing something on his handheld console, with his eyes glued to the screen. “You get used to it eventually.”

Homare smiled, “Good evening, Itaru-kun. Still awake?”

Itaru nodded, “Yeah. There’s this new event dropping at midnight, and there’s an SSR for my best girl, so I’m levelling up my characters for maximum grinding.”

“And maximum whaling, right?”

“You know me so well, senpai. Will you lend me your cheat gacha skills again this time?”

Chikage looked contemplative. “For the right price, maybe…”

“Never mind, I’ll just ask our dear leader in the morning.” Itaru retorted, already walking back out of the common room.

“Oi, Chigasaki- che. He left. Such an uncute junior.”

Homare laughed quietly in amusement, “I wonder what purpose he had for coming into the common room, seeing as he left emptyhanded.”

“Probably snacks and energy drinks, seeing as he’ll be grinding all night for his new event. I guess I should grab those, and then bribe him with them for something I want.” Chikage answered with an innocent smile as if he weren’t elaborating on how he was going to bribe one of his troupe mates into doing his bidding. As he collected said snacks and energy drinks to his chest, he looked at Homare one more time with a serious look on his face. “I mean it though, Homare-san. I’m trying to keep you safe. If artistical inspiration strikes you so hard to the point you _have_ to talk to a stranger, please text me first at least next time.”

“…Was he your colleague of sorts?” Homare asked quietly, although he was sure that Chikage could hear him.

“… How’s practice going for Risky Game?” Chikage asked suddenly, smiling as he did so, which eased the serious air in the common room.

“Huh? That was over ages ago. It’s Scarlet Mirror now.”

“It’s going great, thanks for asking. I’ll be going first; my hands are dying from holding all of this. Wouldn’t it be funny if all this weight went to Chigasaki’s face? Good night, Homare-san.”

“G-Good night, Chikage-kun.” Homare responded, even though he felt like he just got messed around with. And… he never did get to answer Chikage’s question about what kind of guy the person he talked to was. He looked at his notebook again, and pulled out his pen. He wrote down: ‘Someone lonely. He seemed like he was lacking a home. Like Chikage-kun and Hisoka-kun when they first came to Mankai.’

He closed the notebook with a tired sigh, and headed back to his room to retire for the night. He figured that Hisoka would probably be asleep right about now. He opened the door to his room, but didn't bother to turn on the lights. "I'm home." he said, but it was clear that Hisoka wasn't in the room.

Homare jolted when the door slammed close behind him just as he was walking towards his desk, causing him to drop his notebook. He turned around to face Hisoka, who was glaring at Homare’s feet. “H-Hisoka-kun, I promise didn’t buy you marshmallows that were expiring in a week on purpose because they were 50% off, never mind the fact they’d be gone way sooner than that anyway-”

“-Arisu. I want to tell you.” Hisoka hesitated here, before he forced himself to continue. “About my past. About Chikage’s past too.”

Homare blinked in confusion a few times, before a smile settled on his lips. “…You do not have to tell me if you do not wish to tell me, Hisoka-”

That had Hisoka’s head snapping up to look Homare in the eye, anger burning in them. “-But you’re such an idiot that I _do_ have to!” Hisoka grit out, and Homare took some steps back at the other’s outburst until his back hit the wall. “Why is it so _hard_ for you to just _stay safe_?! Is your _inspiration_ worth getting shot by a certified psychopath?!”

Homare gulped, and held up his hands placatingly. “C-Calm down, Hisoka-kun… you’ll wake up Sakyo-san.”

Hisoka froze at the slight apprehension in the other man's voice, before he exhaled shakily. “...I asked Azuma to take him out drinking for the entire night.” Hisoka muttered, and he looked like he was still mad, but it was a simmering type of anger rather than the full-on fury from earlier. “…I got a text from Chikage, when he was trailing you, that you talked to July.”

“… July? I see. Like how you used to be December.” Homare replied, a frown tugging at his lips.

Hisoka stared up at Homare without responding. Suddenly, the anger in Hisoka’s eyes dimmed into grief instead, and he pressed his face into the other’s chest. “…As always, you're way too troublesome. I… I don’t know what I should be doing, A-Arisu.” Hisoka whispered, his voice cracking at the end. 

Homare ran his fingers through Hisoka’s hair, and wrapped his other arm around the man’s waist. “Shh, we’ll figure it out, love. It’s going to be okay. We’re both going to be okay.”

“I'm… I'm…” Hisoka forced out, tears welling up in his eyes. His arms wrapped around Homare tightly.

Homare brought Hisoka's head closer to his chest, "Yes, love? You can tell me anything. I will accept each and every part of you unconditionally."

“I am… just so in love with you, and I know I shouldn’t be. I just want to protect you from everything, but I _don’t know how to_. No matter how hard I try, I always fail when it comes to keeping you safe.”

“We’ll figure it out- wait, pardon? You’re in love with me?”

Hisoka leaned back so he could glare at Homare. “Yes, Arisu. _Fuck._ We’ve held hands, gone on dates, and kissed multiple times. We swore our damn lives to each other. If you’re trying to calm me down by making me want to throttle you instead of figuring out how to protect you, it’s not working." Hisoka threatened, before he paused to consider his words. "…I mean, I do want to throttle you right now, but it's not helping me calm down."

Homare was unfazed by the threat, and instead smiled gently. "So you _did_ think that they were dates. Why didn't you just say so?"

Hisoka frowned, and quickly lied, "I was too sleepy to deal with a loud Arisu."

"Then, do you really think we look weird as a couple?"

"Yes." Hisoka answered with just a bit too much honesty.

Homare figured he should be feeling a little bit offended right about now, but he was too used to dealing with Hisoka's cold responses to let it dampen his mood. In fact, he was absolutely overjoyed.

Homare smiled happily, “I think this is the first time you were louder than me in a conversation…” Homare suddenly frowned as he looked around. “Oh no… I was going to confess my feelings with a ten-page poem and twenty bags of limited-edition, almond, chocolate crunch marshmallows, and do it on a night with a full moon, and during _hanami_ season-”

“Arisu, if you keep going, I’m not going to love you anymore.” Hisoka deadpanned, raising a hand to wipe his own tears away.

Homare huffed out a breath of hot air. “My, such an impatient lover! Very well, I’ll shorten the poem to five pages, and-” he was stopped midsentence again when Hisoka pressed his hand over Homare’s mouth. Before Homare could question what he was doing, Hisoka’s face grew serious.

“Before you choose to return my feelings… please listen to my story and then decide.”

“…As you wish.”

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The two laid next to each other in Homare’s bed. For once, Homare stayed perfectly silent and attentive as he listened to Hisoka speak quietly of his three-person family, gingerbread man cookies, and that person’s eventual untimely death.

“And that’s the gist of it… I know I told you and the others a little bit during Risky Game too, but I had to be careful to hold back some details. Also, Chikage is still a part of the Organization, but he said he’ll try to protect me and hide my existence from them. …I’m not sure what kind of good karma I have from my past life to have so many idiots wanting to protect me, but… I don’t hate it.”

“…”

“Arisu… are you crying?”

Homare didn’t immediately respond, and instead pressed his face into the juncture of Hisoka’s shoulder and neck. “… T-That’s so… moving. My heart is aflutter with emotions. G-Guh…”

Hisoka moved his hand to hold the back of Homare’s head, “...Are you going to tell me a poem? I'll listen carefully… just this once."

“I’m completely in love with you, Hisoka-kun.”

Hisoka blinked owlishly and froze in silence for a few seconds to process the confession. It would be wrong to say he wasn’t expecting this, or better yet, _wanted_ this, but just… _why_? Why would Arisu-

“… Are you sure?” he asked, refusing to turn his head to face Homare, and looked up at the ceiling instead. “Staying by my side… and becoming a part of my world means you won’t be able to live a normal life anymore. From a rational point of view, I’m not worth it, Arisu, so are you sure?" he grit out, his hand trembling around the back of Homare's head. "I'm no good at taking care of others. I can be selfish and rude. There has to be someone… _else_ out there that can give you the love and attention you deserve." Hisoka added, even though he looked particularly bitter as he forced out his last sentence.

Homare could already feel the protests starting to claw at his throat, but he forced himself to stay silent and let Hisoka work through his thoughts and feelings, especially since it looked like the other man wasn't done yet.

Hisoka was silent again for a few seconds before he continued talking, as if he was in a trance. "…I love your voice. I will always listen to what you have to say, even if it's just you talking to yourself… but I will likely end up ignoring you at least twenty percent of the time. Arisu is really loud, annoying, and dramatic, after all. And… none of that matters at all. I still want you so much that it scares me. That's why if you're going to break me, I'm begging you, please do it _now._ I won't even be mad. It already feels like I'm drowning in my feelings for you. I won't be able to handle falling even deeper in love with you only for you to-” Hisoka stopped midsentence when Homare placed a hand on the side of his cheek. Against his better judgement, he melted into the warmth, and turned to face the other. “...Arisu-?”

Homare leaned forward and kissed Hisoka with all the love and affection and adoration he could muster up. It was overwhelming him, and a part of him hoped that it would be enough to overwhelm Hisoka as well. He wanted to be patient, but he just couldn't stand how _wrong_ Hisoka was. He couldn’t understand how Hisoka could return his feelings so strongly, yet fight them just as hard at the same time. It was all so confusing. Hisoka talked of rationality, but if the goal was for the two of them to be happy together for the rest of their lives, then… 

Hisoka parted his lips, and slanted their faces better so he could push his tongue past the other’s lips. He couldn't help but smile into the kiss when he felt Homare move his arms to wrap around his neck, trying to bring him even closer. Hisoka poured all his feelings into the kiss – his fears, his hope, and his love.

How could he forget?

Arisu had always accepted all of him, including his faults and crimes, and this time was no different.

When they parted for air, a string of saliva connected their lips. Homare blushed as Hisoka pulled away, and the string snapped, splattering against his chin. His hand automatically moved to wipe it off, but Hisoka grabbed his hand and moved forward to lick it off instead.

“Hisoka-kun darling, that’s disgusting. Not to mention it accomplishes absolutely nothing, your saliva is still all over my face.” Homare deadpanned, moving his other hand to wipe at his face.

As always, Hisoka took the mechanical comment without batting an eye. “Whatever, Arisu. Get used to it. Saliva isn’t even that bad.”

Homare pulled the blanket over his face to cover up the blush rising on his cheeks when he realized the implications of Hisoka’s words. He wasn’t even sure if Hisoka himself realized the implications. “Good night, Hisoka-kun!” he yelled, his voice slightly muffled underneath the blanket.

Hisoka blinked owlishly, before pulling at the blankets, to which Homare tightened his grip on them in response. “I’m sleeping here too, Arisu. Don’t hog all of the blanket.”

“B-But…”

Hisoka sighed, “Are you _shy_? Is that it? We’ve slept together before.”

“Stop! I know you are doing this on purpose!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. And Sakyo might not to be here, but if you’re so loud, we’ll get complaints from the others, Arisu…”

Homare muttered quietly to himself for a few seconds before allowing Hisoka enough space to slip under the blankets beside him. Homare watched with rapt interest as Hisoka’s fingers moved to wipe away any lingering tears on his face. “I guess… I can understand the appeal of one crying if it’s you.”

“...You enjoy it when I’m suffering? That’s harsh, even for you, Hisoka-kun.”

"…I'm just repeating what- …You know what, forget it. I don’t like you. Good night.” Hisoka responded coldly, turning his back to Homare and throwing the blanket over his head.

“Ehh, that wasn’t an invitation to be even harsher to me!”

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When Homare woke up, he simply basked in the morning light, and played with the strands of his lover’s hair. The thought of actually dating Hisoka still made him giddy. But he struggled with what to call Hisoka. Certainly, they would be lovers? But it felt like they were more than just that. They _had_ sworn their entire lives to each after all. Even before they officially got together, they did all the normal couple things that often made the people around them get annoyed. Oh, he gets it now-

-he wants to marry Hisoka.

Since Hisoka was the one who had confessed first, then the onus to propose would be… “On me?” he asked out loud, blushing after the words passed his lips. He wiped at his eyes to help himself wake up more fully. When he finished rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he noticed that Hisoka was staring at him. He felt a warmness spreading through his chest as he smiled at the shorter man.

“Good morning, Hiso-”

Hisoka wrapped his arms around Homare’s neck, and pulled him closer so that they could share a kiss. As always, he wanted to be close to Homare, and maybe if he were more awake, he could worry about having gotten so clingy to someone _so_ annoying and loud and-

“-ka-kun, did you have a grand sleep?” Homare smiled, before Hisoka grunted and pulled him in for another kiss.

-and talks _way_ too much.

They probably would have continued kissing for the rest of the morning if Hisoka didn’t have morning practice for Scarlet Mirror. Hisoka made a sound of irritation as he butted his head into Homare’s chest. Homare could only smile fondly, his hand moving to stroke through the other’s silver locks. Chikage had already bombarded Hisoka’s phone with a multitude of LIME messages, which was most likely due to the fact that morning practice was supposed to have started five minutes ago.

Homare pressed a kiss to the top of Hisoka’s head, “You have to go, love. You’re the lead.”

“… Too troublesome. Carry me there, Arisu.”

“As you wish.” he answered, maneuvering Hisoka (who had fallen asleep again) into his arms. He wasn’t the best at carrying Hisoka, as he wasn’t as strong as Chikage, or brawny as Tasuku, but he figured that since he was a member of the Hisoka Protection Squad™, one of the main duties would have to be being able to run away from danger all while carrying the sleeping beau around.

As he peered at the ladder though, he quickly said an apology, and tossed Hisoka over his shoulder instead. “Just for a little bit, darling.” he said quietly, even if Hisoka was still asleep, and definitely wouldn’t have cared even if he had been awake.

He scaled down the ladder, and proceeded to head to the practice room. As he was about to open the door, it suddenly opened to reveal an irritated-looking Chikage. Homare smiled at the taller male, “Good morning, Chikage-kun. I’ve brought Hisoka-kun. I’ll leave him in your care.”

Chikage’s eyes widened slightly, before he sighed and adjusted his glasses. “…Is it really okay to let this guy be the lead?”

“Of course, I have full faith in Hisoka-kun. You feel the same way, don’t you, Chikage-kun?” Homare beamed, handing off his sleeping lover to the other man.

“…Who knows.” Chikage responded, but his voice held a certain fondness to it.

Homare just smiled knowingly, "...By the way, I'm sure you're already well aware, but I've fulfilled my promise to you."

Chikage nodded, a small smile gracing his lips, "So you did. It's my loss."

Homare huffed, "If we're going by that logic, you won, since you fulfilled your promise to me first. Not everything has to be a competition or bet, Chikage-kun. After all, as you can clearly tell, I'm not Hisoka-kun."

Chikage smiled and shook his head at that, "No, I'm not all that competitive. But as you say, maybe I am just a little competitive when it comes to Hisoka, since it's funny when he loses. Also… I don't think I will have a hard time differentiating between the two of you anytime soon, no matter how disgustingly stuck at the hip the two of you are."

Homare grinned haughtily, and brought a hand to his mouth. "My, what an outlandish accusation coming from the person who willingly went with Itaru-kun to the infamous cafe known for their only-sweets menu _multiple_ times while ordering _multiple_ menu items to collect all the limited-"

Chikage slammed the door shut.

Homare cupped his mouth with his hand and continued yelling, "-edition coasters from the anime Sparkling☆Diamond! Jewel Princess, which also goes by JP-"

Chikage opened the door, only to throw Hisoka onto Homare with all the mannerisms of a minimum-wage store employee tossing out an expired bag of potatoes into the trash.

Homare grimaced in pain, " Ouch…" he muttered. However, he brightened up immediately when he opened his eyes to meet lime green ones. "Oh! I suppose you… fell for me, Hisoka-kun." he winked. Homare duly ignored the sound of Chikage gagging next to them. Homare had his arms wrapped around Hisoka, who was laying on top of him, and looking wholly unimpressed with the entire situation. Luckily, the way that he had caught Hisoka before they both fell didn't hurt the injury on his arm too much, as he had fallen at an angle on his uninjured arm. Had Chikage done that on purpose?

Hisoka glared at his lover, "...You two are always protecting me against my will when there's danger… but are more than happy to cause me both mental and physical pain any other time of the day."

Homare smiled guiltily, "...We love you?"

"I don't." Chikage rebutted.

Homare stared at Chikage with an unimpressed look, "Yet, you went through all the trouble of-"

"-Becoming friends with you? I agree, it's been the most trouble I've ever signed myself up for." he answered with a smirk.

"...I relate. Let's start an Anti Arisu club."

"Alright, where's the registration paper?"

Homare blushed, and glared at the both of them, "Don't get along at my expense!"

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As Homare made his way back to his room, he spotted one of the flyers for Scarlet Mirror on the floor. He bent over and picked it up. He couldn’t help but smile and stare at Hisoka like a lovesick fool for the next thirty minutes. He also may or may not have been fantasizing about Hisoka pinning him down with his cane.

"...What was that new terminology that Kazunari-kun used when he described the flyer? Ah, right, that was it." he nodded, "Hisoka-kun has big dick energy here."

He still wasn't completely sure what that meant, but it seemed fitting.

[Lead: Hisoka Mikage]

[Co-Lead: Chikage Utsuki]

“… I wonder if we both asked Chikage-kun to be our best man, if he’d be conflicted. Fufu…”

“… A five-star rarity hidden occurrence? That sounds fun. I’m in.”

Homare’s jumped on the spot, before turning to face where the voice came from. “I-Itaru-kun?! You’ve gotten too good at sneaking up on me!”

“Ossu~ Are you and Hisoka-san getting married? GG.”

Homare flushed, his face gaining a similar shade to his hair. “I-I still have to propose first! And he has to accept!” he protested, not noticing how the flyer was being crumpled in his hand.

Itaru smiled, seemingly not affected in the slightest by how flustered the other man was getting, “He’ll accept, alright. Want me to join your party?”

“… Pardon me?”

“Want me to help?”

Homare brightened up, “Sure! Hisoka-kun can be a little bit slow on the uptake, so I’ll take all the help I can get. He’s like a slow moving river, and not much of a forgiver. He can be harsh to me, but he’s really my sweetie-pea. I-”

“-I’m going to lose my breakfast. Please stop.”

Itaru perked up, “Oh? Homare-san, you unlocked a _super effective_ weapon against senpai, GG. Keep going.”

“Don’t test me, Chigasaki…” Chikage smiled threateningly, his glasses glinting under the morning light.

Hisoka appeared from behind Chikage, his eyebrows furrowed. “… What are you scheming, Arisu..?”

Homare’s hand flew to his chest over where his heart would be, and his face clearly showed how offended he was at the other’s words. “ _Scheming_?! Your opinion of me is as low as ever, Hisoka-kun!”

“Only because every time I think you hit rock-bottom; you pull out another shovel.”

Itaru tilted his head in amusement. “It’s like you’re playing this love sim on _ultra hard_ mode, Homare-san. But it’s okay, I have some cheat codes to make it easier for you. I’ll give them to you after work. I'll be working overtime today though, so don't wait up, kk?”

Hisoka narrowed his eyes as he watched Itaru walk off with a pep in his step, whistling to some anime-weeaboo-sounding tune. “What are you planning, Arisu..?” he asked again, suspicion dripping out of his voice.

“Eh… nothing bad, I can ensure you.” Homare smiled. But with how nervous he sounded and looked, it probably didn’t look convincing in the slightest, especially to the two people in front of him who were trained to death in the art of lie detection.

“I heard you call me slow. So it’s something to do with me, right? And it has something to do with Itaru helping you.” Hisoka shot back, not even bothering to disguise the accusations in a form of a question.

“Y-You’ll find out after Scarlet Mirror, Hisoka-kun!” Homare tried to appease, as he held up his hands placatingly.

“You’re not cheating on me with him, right?” Hisoka questioned, a frown on his lips. He didn’t seem to be saying it so much because he actually believed it, more as if he was trying to provoke Homare into telling the truth.

Both Homare and Chikage blanched at the accusation. “N-No, of course not! I would never cheat on you with Itaru-kun! Or anyone! I wouldn’t even _think_ of cheating on you with Chikage-kun, and he’s taller than me and can cook!”

“ _Hey._ ” Hisoka grit out, offence written plain on his face.

“I-I have to go now! Love you! Bye!”

Hisoka wasn’t sure what kind of training Chikage had been putting Homare through, but when he actually managed to narrowly evade Hisoka's grab for him, he had to admit that whatever it was, it was working.

“Should we team up too as members of the Anti Arisu club, seeing as the two decided to gang up on you?”

“…I don’t want to team up with Chikage." Hisoka muttered sleepily, before he rubbed at his eye. "…But I'll stay in the club with you."

“…You know, even though Chigasaki looks like that, he can clean up really well. He has a stable family, and a good job at a trading company. He can be mature at times, and give good advice.”

“You sound more concerned that Arisu could be cheating on me with Itaru than I am.”

“…I’m not concerned. He really does love you, after all.”

Hisoka yawned. “Of course he does.”

“…And you love him back, _right_?”

“… Zzzz…”

“Don’t fall asleep while standing up! Break is over in five minutes, and I’m not dragging you back to the practice room!”

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Chikage ended up dragging the sleeping Hisoka back to the practice room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! No one... no one told me that Homare calls Itaru and Chikage by -kun, which okay, makes sense since they're both younger than he is, but still... anyway, I changed it in the earlier chapters, and it will reflect in this chapter and any new chapters onward. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I get fed with kudos, bookmarks, and comments <3


	6. Wrong Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~
> 
> Yes, I know I updated like, yesterday, but the tea is really piping hot, so I couldn't help myself. I think I'll slow down updates after Chapter 7, since it'll still be tea, but not-as-piping-hot. I still haven't touched Chapter 10 since last time though, so I'll need to get on that... anyway, point being, updates will slow down considerably after Chapter 7 < / 3

Homare blinked open his eyes warily as he took in his surroundings. He was feeling incredibly groggy, and suddenly, all of Chikage’s well-meaning-but-extremely-long monologues regarding what to do in an event of a kidnapping bounced around in his head. Was that it? Did he get drugged and kidnapped? There was a large sign that read 'Penny Candy', and there were shelves and containers of what appeared to be sweets all around him. But there wasn’t anything restraining him, and there was no one else-

He quickly ducked behind a row of candy when he heard the storage room door being opened.

“Heave-ho! No rest for the wicked, hahaha…”

He tried his best to imitate Chikage’s style of 'concealed information gathering', but all he could see was a mop of green hair. If Homare hadn’t heard the other person speak, he would have thought it was Chikage himself.

“Oh? A customer?”

Homare jolted in place. He had been sure that he had remained hidden from view of the other person. He knew he had to make a decision before he became suspicious. As normally as he could, he came out from behind the row of sweets, and waved to the other man with his free hand.

“Yes, I’m here. My apologies, I was just admiring these, um…” he explained, showing the cookies he had grabbed, and was holding in his hand. “I’ve never seen these before.”

That was a lie though, he had picked them up precisely because he recognized them.

The man perked up, “Oh yes, those. They tastes really good! And also,” the man winked here, “if you write your wish on the wrapper, your wish will come true!”

Homare’s eyes widened. That was new to him. His mouth fell open slightly. “T-That’s fascinating. My, I’m simply brimming with inspiration! Sweet dreams… eat the sweet, get the dream! Yosh!”

The other man laughed, “I don’t really get it, but that cheered me up for some reason! You can have those free of charge, for making me laugh.”

Homare distinctively remembered Chikage mentioning something about _not_ eating and touching anything when in an unknown place, but well… the other man liked his poem. Why would one of his fans try to do anything bad to him? “Very well, I will accept this. Thank you for your kindness.” he said. Carefully, he peeled open the wrapper around the cookie, popped it into his mouth, and pulled out a pen from his pocket.

“What will you wish for, I wonder..?”

“Will my wish not come true if I tell you?”

The man smiled in amusement, “I believe not. I’m very good at keeping secrets, even from the fates themselves,” he winked, “so your wish is secret is safe with me, I promise.”

Homare smiled, “Then,” he said, uncapping his pen and starting to write on the wrapper, “I wish to be married to my lover…”

“What a wonderful wish-”

“-Hisoka Mikage.” Homare added lovingly, finishing his message with a flourish of his hand. Completely unaware that the other man had frozen on the spot, Homare continued talking. “And there’s no more room to write, but I want Chikage-kun to agree to be my best man. I feel like he’ll try to lie about something to get out of it, though. He can be a cruel man like that.”

“…”

“…Sir? I think you’re crying…” Homare nervously said, holding up a hand in concern. Homare nearly jumped on the spot when the other man collapsed to his knees and started bawling. “A-Are you alright?!” Homare yelled, dropping the rest of the cookies on the floor as he rushed over.

“…’m…”

Homare frowned, and stroked the back of the other man’s back comfortingly. “My apologies, what was that?”

“… I’m so happy. I've been waiting for December to-”

Before Homare consciously even realized it, he had grabbed the other man by the throat and slammed him into the floor. He dug his knee into the other’s stomach, and made sure his hold on the other’s throat was tight enough to be inescapable, but not too tight as to deprive the other of airflow. “… Why are you happy? Why are you waiting for him? Do you know Hisoka-kun? How do you know him?” he grit out, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. What was he thinking, giving out Hisoka’s name like that? It was no excuse, but it was as if the other man’s aura had nearly compelled Homare to trust him.

“H-He’s… my family.”

Homare’s eyes widened momentarily, before he narrowed them again. “That’s impossible. And if you were Chikage-kun in disguise, you would have escaped my hold already.”

The man was literally vibrating in happiness, despite the fact that he was still in a chokehold. "Chikage… Chikage is my family too.”

“That only leaves… but that’s just not possible.” he grit out, before levelling a glare at the man in his hold. “On Chikage-kun’s 24th birthday, what did you get him?”

“I took him out to eat at this restaurant he’d been wanting go to for a while. _L’real._ ”

“…Well, that’s correct. One of the world’s most spiciest restaurants. And he ordered-”

”-the house made curry and couldn’t move at all afterwards. And he couldn’t stop passing gas.”

Homare laughed boisterously, “I didn’t know about that last part! Chikage-kun must have sworn Hisoka-kun into secrecy on that part. And also oh my god I’m so so sorry August-san-” Homare scrambled off the other man, before toppling over in his haste.

“H-Hey now, I’m not mad at all!” August beamed, moving to help Homare to his feet. “I’m glad that Hisoka has someone so protective of him. It’s reassuring if anything. Are you also a part of the Organization? You look like you could be… February, perhaps?”

Homare rubbed at his head, where he had hit it against one of the shelves. “F-February? Ah no, but you’re correct in that I was born in February. I’m not a part of the Organization, though.” he explained, before looking down at their linked hands.

August sniffled, “Please let me have this… my kids never want to touch me.”

“A-As you wish…”

“And you have my blessings for all of eternity, er…”

“Homare Arisugawa.”

“Homare-san. That’s such a nice name.” August said giddily, with all the mannerisms of an overly emotional father rather than someone who was just put in a chokehold seconds ago. “I wish you and Decem- no, Hisoka, happiness together, forever.” he said, shaking their intertwined hands up and down in excitement.

“Y-You have my gratitude…” Homare forced out, with his hands being shaken up and down. “But I still have to propose… and I don't have the slightest idea how.”

August stilled his movements here, and looked at Homare thoughtfully, before beaming again. “I know! I’ve had people come in here before that bought those cookies,” he explained, pointing to the ones that Homare had dropped on the floor earlier, “and write out their proposal message, and re-wrapped it before giving it to their partner!”

Homare nodded thoughtfully, “Not as… _extraordinaire_ as I was anticipating, but I think it’s a novel idea.” he murmured to himself, before a warmness bloomed in his chest. “Actually… that does sound perfect.”

“Right? I’m glad.” August replied, smiling as he watched Homare sit on the floor, unwrap one of the cookies, write down his proposal message, and re-wrap it carefully.

“But August-san…” Homare started, standing back up with a perplexed expression.

“Yes?”

“You’re, um.”

August stared in confusion for a few seconds before he laughed. “Why yes Homare-san, I am um. I see now. Let me guess, are you holding Hisoka right now in your sleep?”

“Yes. Unless he’s left me in favor of sleeping on the roof because he found it impossible to handle the deep emotions that welled up inside of him from me reciting poetry in my sleep. I can’t blame him though.”

August laughed again, “You two really are meant to be!”

When August sobered up from his laughing fit, he took Homare’s hands in his own again. He smiled at the other man, even as more tears welled up in his eyes. “I truly do believe this, from the bottom of my heart… that you’re the one Hisoka’s been waiting for. Whether he knows that he’s been waiting, or not.” he said through shaky breaths, and his voice undoubtedly fond. “Thank you for being by his side. I am certain he will accept your proposal.”

Homare could feel tears welling up in his own eyes, “Thank you. And thank you for always watching over Hisoka-kun long enough so that I could meet him. I always wanted to express my gratitude if and when I got the chance to meet you, August-san.”

“…G-Guh… you’re going to make me sob all over again. I’m s-so glad I got to meet you Homare-san, even if it was probably an accident, and I was supposed to show up in Hisoka’s dream, or something.”

Homare frowned slightly, “But if this is a dream… how will I get this cookie to Hisoka-kun?” he asked, looking deeply at the one he had just written his wish onto.

“He'll get it.” August said earnestly with a wink. “Trust me. May I?” he asked, holding out his hand. Homare smiled, and gave the cookie back to August.

Homare winced as the surroundings around him started to shift and blur the second he did so. “U-Understood. Farewell, August-san. It’s probably no good of me to wish for this, since I’d be keeping you from seeing Hisoka-kun and Chikage-kun, but I hope I can see you again sometime.”

August grinned, his eyes shining with happiness. He was starting to blur too. “You definitely will! Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to seeing you next time, Homa-”

“-re-san? …Homare-san? Are you in here? You missed dinner.”

Homare sat up immediately, out of breath and heaving. He looked around at his surroundings. He was in his room, by himself, and he was covered in cold sweat.

“Homare-san?”

Homare’s head jerked towards the door. “Y-Yes, come in please!” he answered, but when he tried to make a move towards the ladder, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. “U-Ugh…”

Itaru left the door open behind him, and frowned as he looked at the other man. “Did you drink? You don’t look too well.” he said. He was still dressed in his work clothes, so he must have just gotten back home from having finished his overtime.

“No… I just had an, um, interesting dream.”

Itaru barely look phased. “That so? Anyway, I wanted to give you something. Can you come down?”

Homare nodded, and closed his eyes for a few seconds to compose himself before he carefully made his way down to the floor. He approached Itaru, who looked to be fishing around in his pocket for something.

“Where did I… ah. Here you go, Homare-san.” he said, passing over the cookies into Homare’s waiting hand. “They’re the cheat codes that I promised you. One of my seniors went abroad, and just came back yesterday. He texted me this morning that he had some sweets for me at work. Apparently, if you write a wish on the wrapper of these, it will come true. …Well, that sounds hella lame now that I think about it-”

Itaru froze in place when Homare suddenly reached forward to hug the other man tightly. “Thank you so much, Itaru-kun! They’re perfect, I-”

“-Should I be concerned?”

Itaru jumped in Homare’s arms. “S-Senpai?” he asked, trying to turn his head back as much as he could to see behind him.

“Chikage-kun, this is the best! Itaru-kun is the best!”

Chikage exhaled loudly in irritation, his arms wrapped across his chest, “I know this is just a misunderstanding, but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.”

“I love you, Itaru-kun!”

“ _Hey_.” Chikage grit out, moving forward to pull Itaru away.

“…What’s going on here?”

Homare finally let Itaru go, and beamed as Hisoka stepped through the open door. “Hisoka-kun! You’re back! I missed you so much!” he smiled, moving forward to hug Hisoka close to his chest.

Hisoka huffed in irritation, but returned the hug, “If you missed me so much, stop reciting poetry in your sleep. Then I could actually stay.”

“Fufu… you get overwhelmed. I knew it.”

“That’s not what I said-”

Homare’s stomach chose to rumble then, and loudly, at that. “O-Oh…” Homare blushed, moving away from Hisoka as he held a hand to his stomach. “Itaru-kun did say something about me missing dinner.”

“Yeah. You were not only loud, but you were moving so much in your sleep. I thought you got possessed or something.”

“…And you left me, thinking I was possessed?”

“…It’s only in health and sickness if we get married.” Hisoka answered, completely unfazed. Hisoka already considered them both more than married at this point, but he chose not to voice that out loud.

“Oh, that’s right…” Homare smiled, slipping the cookies in his hand into his cardigan pocket.

Hisoka’s eyes narrowed, “What’s right..?”

Homare beamed, “We need to get dinner! Let’s go out, you haven’t had dinner yet either, have you, Hisoka-kun?” he asked, weaving their arms together and leading them towards the door. 

Chikage glanced at them with something akin to worry in his eyes. He looked like he was about to say something, before he shook his head. "...Could you two get takeout instead? The Director asked me and Hisoka to meet with her before evening practice today."

Homare and Hisoka stopped in their tracks.

Hisoka stopped because his arm was still looped around Homare's, and Homare stopped because he remembered overhearing Izumi telling Sakyo she was going to be busy the entire day with errands until late at night, and had asked Sakyo to oversee Scarlet Mirror's evening practice on her behalf.

Homare turned his head and pinned down the other man with a knowing look. Homare could have just called him out again for not being transparent, but this time, he decided to let it go. Chikage was clearly bothered by something, while still seemingly trying to respect their space and privacy. So instead, Homare smiled and nodded, "Sure, Chikage-kun. We'll be back before you know it." 

"...Text me if you need anything."

"Understood."

As they exited the courtyard and into Veludo Way, Hisoka finally decided to stop ignoring the supposed love of his life and actually answer. “… I guess I haven’t. Where are we going?”

“ _L’real_.”

“No _way_. Also, that’s in an entirely different country.”

“I’ll tell Chikage-kun that you told me he passed gas non-stop after eating their curry.”

“You wouldn’t _dare_ , Arisu… wait, what? I’ve never told you that before… Arisu, hey, wait, stop-” he grit out, planting his feet into the pavement, before yanking them into a nearby alleyway. Hisoka narrowed his eyes. “How do you know that? Chikage would sooner bite off his own tongue and bleed to death than admit it, and I know for a fact I wouldn’t have risked the very real threat of having my ‘intestines yanked out of my mouth’ just to make fun of Chikage.”

“It’s funny though, isn’t it?”

“…It’s hilarious- duck, Arisu!”

Homare went down with Hisoka as a spray of bullets splattered across the alleyway wall, where their heads had just been.

“Curses.” Homare muttered, and grabbed Hisoka’s hand as they ran down the length of the alleyway. “I just wanted to have a nice dinner with my husband.”

“…”

“…Ah, my apologies. I meant to say lover.”

“…I didn’t say I disliked it.”

Despite the fact that Homare’s never run this fast in his life, and that both him and the love of his life were being gunned down, he couldn’t help but smile and tighten his hold on Hisoka’s hand. “If we survive this, I-”

“-Don’t finish that thought, Arisu, we’ll definitely survive this. Save it for afterwards.”

Homare smiled and blushed prettily, “Okay.” he responded. When he turned his head around to catch a glimpse of their pursuer while still running, his eyes widened. “Hisoka-kun? Do you trust me?”

“I don’t like the change in your tone of voice, so no.”

“Please go ahead of me… just for a little. I’ll be sure to catch up to you. He’s getting close to us, I want to deter him.”

“… I can’t tell if you’re actually expecting me to respond to that or not.”

“Please.”

“No.”

“Fine.”

Homare ground his feet into the ground, which jarred Hisoka into stumbling slightly. Homare turned around, just as July was halfway between reloading his gun.

“July-san.” Homare started, even as July ignored him in favor of reloading his gun properly. “I think that person wishes things could have been different between the two of you too. Take this!” he yelled, reaching into his pocket, and throwing with great speed and accuracy at the other man.

July’s eyes widened for a split second before he jumped out of the way of the incoming barrage of… cookies? “Wait… these are…”

By the time July looked up again, the two were gone from his sight. He grit his teeth as his crushed some of the cookies underneath his foot. “You’re getting in my way even beyond the grave.” he muttered, “But it’s too bad. I’m ending things tomorrow, once and for all.”

He opened his phone and smirked at the message he had received earlier in the day. 

_April_ : I’ve located where the traitor December is. I plan on capturing him, and I’ll bring him to XXX tomorrow night at 22:00, where we will finish things.

 _July_ : Don’t let me down. I’ll be waiting.

So what if he didn’t try as hard as he could have to capture December here? It would be so much more entertaining to have April do it…

“Are you done playing with your pretend family now… August?”

.

.

.

.

.

.

Hisoka and Homare ended up running all the way to the next town over. They ducked into a hotel this time instead of an alleyway. Hisoka frowned, “Why did you bring us into a-”

Homare gently shushed him, and led him to the front counter. Behind the counter was a man, who smiled at the two. “Welcome. Do you have a reservation with us?”

Homare smiled pleasantly, “I’m afraid not, but I’ve heard many good things about this hotel, and was planning on staying here for my next trip.” he explained, pausing to laugh, before he continued, “As fate would have it, that trip came sooner than I expected.”

The person behind the counter laughed with Homare, “Life works like that sometimes, doesn’t it? Luckily, we do have some open rooms tonight. Would you like one of our regular rooms, or a suite?”

“Suite, please. Executive, if possible. Just this one night should be fine.”

“Done and done. Would you like to pay now, or after your stay?”

“Now.” Homare answered, his credit card already out. His hand froze midair when he suddenly remembered Chikage’s words about not leaving a ‘trail’ when you were in hiding… or were hiding from someone. One’s credit card transactions were oh-so-easy to get with the right tools, after all. “Oh, goodness me. I forgot this card isn't activated yet. I'll pay in cash instead.” Homare smiled pleasantly, withdrawing the card and placing down some bills into the man’s hand instead. “Please, keep the change.” After Homare paid, and was given keys to their room, he grabbed Hisoka’s hand and lead them to the elevator.

Hisoka frowned, “…What are we doing, Arisu?”

Homare smiled, pulling them into the elevator. He pressed the button that would lead them to the twelfth floor. “I’m protecting you in the only way I know how to, I suppose?” he smiled, bumping their shoulders together.

Hisoka didn’t understand, but he didn’t question the other man anymore. He took a look at their surroundings as they walked out of the elevator. It was definitely posh, but not in the way that everything felt too expensive to touch. It definitely suited Homare’s tastes though.

Homare lead them to the door at the end of the hallway, and unlocked the door by swiping the key card he was given. The sensor blinked green, and the sound of the door unlocking could be heard. “After you, Hisoka-kun.” Homare smiled, holding the door open.

Hisoka nodded, and entered, taking his shoes off, before he proceeded to look around the executive suite. It had high-rise ceilings, a large window view, a king-sized bed, and a small kitchen. In the bathroom, he found a large jacuzzi tub.

“…Arisu, aren’t you wasting your money? We’ll only be staying for one night too.”

“Contrary to how much I point it out darling, I do actually enjoy spoiling you.” he answered without missing a beat. He swiped through the room service menu, which was a touch screen on the wall, and hummed at the different options. “What do you think? Uni or fugu? I can’t decide.”

“… Nothing that can kill you. Or me.”

Homare smiled, not actually expecting Hisoka to offer his input. “Uni then. I guess I’ll get lobster too, and then something sweet… um, maybe sweet omelet again? I don't want us to be inebriated, so no wine this time.” he murmured, before he typed in the order into the touch screen and clicked the submit option.

“…Just give me marshmallows, Arisu.”

Homare shook his head. “I’m out. Or rather, I would have some if you didn’t eat the ones I had on me when I was sleeping. And if I did actually have some, I probably would have thrown them at July-san anyway.”

Hisoka frowned here, stilling in his approach towards Homare. “We… have to talk about that, actually. What you asked of me… don’t ever do that again.”

Homare turned around to face Hisoka properly, who was looking back at Homare with a myriad of emotions. Most noticeably, would be apprehension and anger. “I do understand why you’re angry, Hisoka-kun. I would feel the same way if you told me to go on ahead and leave you behind, no matter how temporary. However… I simply can’t help it. When I see any opportunity of being able to protect you, it’s simply… impossible for me to ignore.”

Hisoka frowned, and moved closer to Homare. Before the taller of the two could react, Hisoka had Homare pinned on the floor. “H-Hisoka-kun?!”

Homare could feel both his arms restrained behind him, and Hisoka pressing his own legs down to immobilize Homare. He was completely, and utterly, at the other’s mercy. He was only slightly puzzled when he realized how little he minded that. Homare shuddered when Hisoka pulled off his scarf, and licked a stripe up the back of his neck. A shaky moan passed his lips when the other bit into the skin harshly and sucked. “…You’re still so helpless, Arisu. I could do anything to you, and you wouldn’t be able to stop me.”

“I wouldn’t need to stop you, because I love you.”

“…I could break you so easily.”

“You could, but you won’t.”

“What if… what if it _wasn’t_ me though, Arisu… what then?” Hisoka grit out, the anger he had been holding back seeping steadily into his voice. “What if I were July? Hell, what if I was just a random nobody who took a shot at an overconfident idiot who’s done a little bit of self-defence training, what then-?”

“-Excuse me, room service?” was heard from the door, followed by three polite knocks.

Homare licked his lips, which had gone terribly dry. “C-Coming!” But when he tried to get up, he was pushed down by the hand that covered his neck. He wished that didn’t turn him on as much as it did.

“You’re staying here. Don’t get up until I say you can.”

Homare, as little dignity as he appeared to have at times, just nodded, because he knew his voice would come out too high-pitched and submissive if he let it out right now. He listened as Hisoka opened the door, and exchanged quick pleasantries (if you count grunts and nods), before taking the food and locking the door.

“…Um, can I get up now, Hisoka-kun?”

Hisoka pulled out the stainless steel chopsticks, and took out the container of sweet omelet. He was silent as he ate for a few minutes before he dignified the other man with a response. “Depends. Do you feel like being a selfless idiot the next time there’s danger?” he asked coldly, putting the now-empty container down on the small table by the bed.

“You know I can’t answer that how you want me to. You’re being cruel.”

“…”

“ _Hisoka-kun_! I’ll _starve_!” Homare whined pitifully into the floor. Homare had only meant to complain, but the adrenaline was leaving his body in waves, and the stress, hunger, and fear from earlier was catching up to him, which had him going from fake whining to full-out sobbing and shaking in nearly a second.

Hisoka was by his side in the next second, “Sorry Arisu, sorry.” he whispered, carefully maneuvering Homare into his arms and pressing soft kisses to his head and face. “I went too far. I’m sorry.”

Homare tried to shake his head, and refute what Hisoka was saying, because it wasn’t Hisoka’s fault, but his tongue felt numb, and so no words came out. Eventually, Hisoka picked him up in his arms, and brought them to the bed so he could wrap them both in the luxurious and thick blanket. He grabbed a box of tissues from the side, and gingerly dabbed at Homare’s face to wipe away from the tears.

“…Not… your fault.” Homare eventually sobbed out miserably against Hisoka’s shoulder, who had his hand wrapped around the back of his head, and the other hand rubbing his back. “It’s… not your fault. I-… there’s just been a lot that’s happened.”

“…Those things happened to you because of me.”

Homare's eyes narrowed. How could he explain to Hisoka that he _really_ just… couldn't care less? That he would extinguish the fires of Hell underneath the sole of his foot if it meant that they could stay together? Since Hisoka was an engima of contradictions himself, then perhaps Homare would have to take a nonconventional approach.

“…Fine. Yes, they did.” Homare relented, leaning away from Hisoka’s shoulder so he could wipe off the rest of his tears.

Hisoka couldn't help but flinch at Homare’s words, feeling the words cut into his heart like broken shards of glass, even if he already knew what Homare was saying was true before he actually voiced them out loud. But it was infinitely worse to hear those words coming from the other man's mouth. Did Arisu finally realize that no matter how much and how desperately Hisoka wished for it, he could never offer him what he deserved? The tears he refused to let fall stung at his eyes, but he couldn't make a move to wipe them off with how badly his hands were shaking.

Homare held those trembling hands in his own, “Please look at me, Hisoka-kun.”

Hisoka made a few aborted attempts before he finally looked into Homare’s eyes. His eyes widened when he found none of the accusation, anger, and fear he was expecting to see. There was only understanding, compassion, and pure love and adoration.

Homare smiled softly, “I chose this, and I chose _you_. What’s to say that in the future, there won’t be bad things that happen to us because of me? I know you’d face them with me. I know; we eventually have to find a balance between wanting to protect each other, and we will… but is it really such a sin to love and care for each other so much? The things that have happened so far – I would choose to do them again and again so long as you can stay by my side. Do you get it? If I have to go through life threatening events every day of my life to stay by Hisoka Mikage’s side, I will do it, because there is no other way for me to live. I will continue to choose you for the rest of our lives. I love you, Hisoka-kun.”

Hisoka actually did let his tears fall here. His breaths were shaky and he was entirely overwhelmed, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. “A-Arisu…” he grit out, eyes closing shut as sobs wracked his body.

“Yes, love?” Homare responded just as gently, cradling Hisoka’s face in his hands.

Hisoka’s eyes softened as he stared into Homare’s, and he knew it deep in his bones that this was the one and only person he would forever selfishly want and crave so desperately. This was the man he was going to spend the rest of his life with. They had already promised their lives to each other as far as Hisoka was concerned, but he figured the other man would throw a fit if they couldn’t show off how committed and disgustingly in love they were in a grand, overpriced affair to all of their friends and family.

He cradled Homare’s face gently in return, and relished in the warmth that filled his entire body. “…Will you marry me-?”

Homare yanked his head back out of Hisoka’s hands. “- _No!!_ ”

“…?!”

“I mean, yes, of course I will marry you, but _no!_ I was going to propose!!”

Homare then sobbed into his hands about how selfish and awful his fiancé was, his perfect proposal plan, and his elaborate eleven backup proposal plans, and a whole bunch of other whiny bullshit Hisoka was both too sober and awake to deal with.

Hisoka closed his eyes for a moment. This is the man who you’ve sworn your entire life to multiple times. This is the man who knows you the best. This is the man who you love wholeheartedly and more than yourself. This is the man you would die for. This is the- fuck it. “Alcohol, Arisu.” he grit out, interrupting Homare’s sob-whining going into detail about how his backup plan number seven involved spelling out the proposal in fireworks. “I need to be drunk right now.”

“Ehh?!” Homare whined, “You have such a high tolerance! It’ll take multiple bottles to get you drunk!”

“Good point. …Zzzzz.”

Homare pouted as he watched his fiancé fall asleep in about 0.7 seconds, which was a new record from his usual three whole seconds. “My goodness.” Homare grumbled, albeit affectionately, as he gently moved Hisoka underneath the blankets, and made sure his head was on a pillow. “My life work really is taking care of you.” he murmured. He suddenly grinned. “…And I would never want it any other way.” he added, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips.

Carefully, as to not make too much noise, he reached into his cardigan and pulled out the last cookie he had saved on purpose. He smiled, "All of my dreams and wishes have come true. Will you please grant someone else's wish," he whispered, slipping the cookie into the top drawer of the desk next to his bed, and slowly sliding it shut, "August-san?"

For the next hour and a half, Homare was in complete bliss watching his fiancé snooze while he ate lobster and uni beside him, with his heart bursting with love. After he finished eating, and stacked the plates on the small desk next to their bed, he grabbed his phone to take a picture to commemorate their engagement, but he frowned when a black screen greeted him instead. He’ll have to ask the front desk if they had a phone charger.

In his sleep, Hisoka turned and grabbed onto Homare’s arm, holding it tightly to his chest, “Love... you...” 

Homare visibly vibrated in place as he inwardly combusted. The phone charger could wait, he decided, as he slipped underneath the blanket and snuggled up with his fiancé.

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 _Chikage_ : Homare-san, where are you and Hisoka?

[2 missed calls]

 _Chikage_ : Call me ASAP when you see this.

 _Chikage_ : I’m not joking around, CALL ME.

[6 missed calls]

 _Chikage_ : This isn’t funny at all

 _Chikage:_ If you don’t respond in five minutes, I’m going out to look for you two

[3 missed calls]

 _Chikage:_ Hisoka left his phone on the roof, I swear, if you two think this is funny…

 _Chikage_ : Where ARE YOU

[11 missed calls]

 _Chikage_ : Everyone in Mankai is looking for you two now, are you both happy with yourselves

 _Chikage_ : Just let me know you’re both okay… that’s all I need…

[1 missed call]

 _Chikage:_ It’s midnight, please stop this. Respond

 _Chikage_ : …Please…

[18 missed calls]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI: Chikage's first message would have come around the time Homare and Hisoka were running away from July in the alleyway, and it would have died just as they escaped from July. Homare wouldn't have read any of it since he was preoccupied with keeping the love of his life from sleeping forever <3 and as you would know (maybe), Chikage is incredibly worried since he knows he texted July earlier in the day that he would capture Hisoka tomorrow, so it's extremely nerve-wracking for him that the both of them are not home since July is in town. And he didn't follow them because he knew Hisoka would have noticed and called him out and/or didn't want to make them worry and/or he wouldn't be able to predict their behavior if he let them know. Also yes, he was lying about the director thing. I added that in since it doesn't seem like Chikage to not offer a reason why. 
> 
> Also yes, if you talk about any of my works on Twitter, I will find it 99% of the time since I'm pretty sure I follow every hisohoma fan in existence. I'll make a proper A3 Twitter later where I'll be normal and interact, but for now, I will continue being sus and serial liking posts :) thank you for reading, and all the support you give me! Both on and off AO3 <33


	7. Fuyugumi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter has a small part that is direct word-for-word taken from the Scarlet Mirror story (just fuyu fluff really - same dialogue, but I added actions and descriptors that aren't necessarily canon hehe). If you would rather skip it, it starts after a series of dots at: "Hisoka knocked on the door of Room 206.", and ends when there's a bunch of dots again. 
> 
> Happy birthdayyy baby Kumon!! 
> 
> Yeah, another midnight-ish update. Had a bummy week, and a bummy day even though nothing in particular went wrong. I just feel really disengaged at work, and that irritates me since I'm normally a vv hard worker. I don't wait to ruin the mood b4 you even read, so there's more in the end notes :)
> 
> Psst... Listen to A3's "Un Jour" soundtrack either on Spotify or YouTube when you see "Homare jolted in place when he heard knocking from the door." I just tried it and 👌

“…Stop staring at me, Arisu. You’re being creepy.”

Homare’s smile didn’t waver as he continued to unabashedly stare at the other man. Homare had only awoken a few minutes prior, and was enjoying watching how Hisoka’s hair reflected the sunlight with the huge windows.

“But I love you so very much.” Homare responded honestly, chuckling at Hisoka’s reddening ears. “Is it not normal for me to gaze at you and only you?” he asked, holding onto Hisoka’s hand, “And for the rest of my life too.”

Hisoka frowned, “I don’t feel like looking at you all that much, though…”

Homare sighed, but did not let go of the hand he was holding. “My fiancé's iciness is truly unparalleled. It appears that not even the warmth of my everlasting love is enough to melt it. Can’t you at least take it upon yourself to lie to tell me some sweet nothings? You make me feel so unloved, Hisoka-kun!”

Knowing that he’ll otherwise be subjected to heaps of whining at… 5:00am in the morning, he felt it was more worthwhile to indulge the other man than to ignore him. “Fine,” Hisoka grit out, turning his head so he could stare at his fiancé, “I’m looking at you.”

Homare pouted, before he broke out laughing. “Y-You’re so bad at this! How did I fall in love with such a dispassionate lover?”

Like this, Hisoka couldn’t help but soften as he listened to the other’s laughter. Arisu was very, very pretty. And handsome. Hisoka never felt the need to reaffirm any of that out loud the way the other man felt the need to do for him because… in all honesty, it would be similar to Hisoka pointing at water all day and repeating how it’s wet.

But… if it would make Arisu happy, then… “You’re pretty.” he said honestly, a smile threatening to crack on his lips when Homare stopped laughing altogether and instead blushed prettily. He held the longer strands of Homare’s bangs between his fingers, “You are so, so pretty and I have never not liked how you’ve looked. Even when you’re sleep deprived and have your sweaty hair sticking to your forehead, dried ink all over the palm of your hand, and are wearing the same outfit three days in a row, I never stop thinking that you’re pretty.” he admitted, feeling like he just said the most repetitive thing in the history of all the things he’s ever said to appease Arisu. “And I will always look forward to seeing you.”

And he meant it.

His heart started beating faster when Homare smiled genuinely and brightly at him, and before he knew it, they were kissing and holding onto each other tightly.

“Hisoka-kun,” Homare whined, wrapping his arms around Hisoka’s neck as he pressed kisses and bites to Homare’s collarbone and neck, “I-I want… I want- haa, more-”

Homare jolted in place when he heard knocking from the door. It was gentle, and even familiar, but also desperate, if how fast they were knocking was anything to go by. “Homare? Hisoka? Are you two in here?”

Homare’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “A-Azuma-san? Hold on, I’ll get the door.” he responded, slipping out of bed to open the door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see that all of Winter Troupe was there and also Chikage.

“W-What-” he spluttered, when Chikage shoved past and elbowed Homare on the way in. From the corner of his eye, he could see Hisoka getting irritated with Chikage lecturing and yelling at him, but he was held in place by the looks of absolute betrayal from four of his very upset looking troupe mates.

Tsumugi spoke first, “Homare-san? Why did you run away and hide with Hisoka-san? Did we do something to upset you two? Why didn’t you come to talk to us first?”

Homare held up his hands in protest, “No, of course you didn’t! Why would you ever think that?”

Tasuku’s eyes glistened with anger at that. He walked forward and fisted Homare’s shirt in his hand, despite the others trying to stop him. “Why would we ever think that? We’ve all been looking for you two non-stop since last night, you’ve been ignoring all of our messages and phone calls, there was no note or _anything_ to say where you went, and Utsuki wouldn’t tell us anything – he just kept saying you two could be in danger, so really, what are we _supposed_ to think?! Just because you two are the most selfish ones in Winter Troupe doesn’t give you an all-season pass to do whatever the hell you want, you know!”

Homare’s mouth gaped open, even after Tasuku let go of his shirt, muttering something under his breath as he let Tsumugi pull him away. Homare jolted when Azuma walked up to him. And in all honesty, he probably would have _preferred_ Azuma to grab his shirt rather than to look at him with utter disappointment in his eyes. “…We were all worried, you know. It was irresponsible of you two to not say anything and just disappear like that. You know I’m bad with… people just disappearing, and yet… you still did it anyway.”

Homare wanted to climb into a ditch and lay there until he died. If this was his troupe’s chosen method to _ensure_ that this never happened again, it was working way too well. Guy stepped forward and put a gentle hand on Azuma’s shoulder.

Although his stare was mostly blank, there was clearly worry and relief in his eyes. “It was very upsetting when none of us could find you _or_ contact you. I… was very stressed. I felt like someone had told me Citronia-sama had gone missing instead. Please do not do this to us again.”

Homare felt his bottom lip trembling, and tears stinging at his eyes. “I’m… _I’m so sorry!_ ” he cried. “W-We… we never… we weren’t trying to make you all worry for us. A lot… happened.” he forced out in between hiccups. Tsumugi and Azuma moved to hug Homare in between them. “I-It won’t happen again,” Homare forced out, hands rubbing at his eyes. “Please forgive us. I’m sorry.”

Tasuku sighed loudly, but moved to pat Homare’s head, “Alright, alright. We get it, you’re sorry. Just don’t do this again, okay? Either of you.”

Homare simply nodded and made a sound of agreement, hands still rubbing at his eyes and hiccups pouring out of his mouth. Guy placed a hand on Homare’s shoulder. “Winter Troupe can’t exist without its mood-maker and resident Sleepyhead. As long as you two understand that, we forgive you.”

“I-I… we do. We do understand. Sorry again for worrying you-”

Homare jolted when a loud slam caught everyone’s attention. His eyes widened, and he ran towards the two who were strangling each other and slamming each other into the wall. “S-Stop it! Stop it right now!” he yelled, and immediately held Chikage back from kneeing Hisoka in the gut. Chikage let go of Hisoka’s throat at the same time Hisoka let go of his, and slipped out of Homare’s arms with ease to walk towards the other side of the suite while muttering under his breath.

“H-Hisoka-kun? Are you alright? What happened with Chikage-kun?” he asked, hands delicately cradling the other’s neck, which luckily wasn't bruised.

Hisoka winced slightly from the touch. “I was getting reprimanded for being irresponsible. Same as you. With about ten times more violence.”

Homare frowned, and sighed exasperatedly, “You two… honestly. What ever will I do with you two?”

“Don’t talk like you’re any better!” Tasuku yelled from the doorway, before throwing his hands up in annoyance. “I’ll be waiting in the car now that this is settled. Hurry up and grab your things. None of us have gotten any sleep, one of who is the _co-lead_ for our next play, with the first day being, you know, _tomorrow_ , and…” Tasuku’s voice trailed off as he went further down the hallway.

Tsumugi smiled hesitantly, “I think you should hurry, Homare-san, Hisoka-san.”

Tsumugi's smile suddenly turned tight when he finally noticed the bruising and bites all over Homare’s neck and collarbone. Wordlessly, he picked up the scarf that was on the floor and handed it to Homare with a trying smile that clearly said he was trying hard not to think about his fellow troupe mates going at it.

Homare accepted the scarf with a quick thanks and a smile that made him look like he was waiting for someone to toss him out of the window. _Especially_ because they were currently on the twelfth floor.

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When Homare and Hisoka were officially home, the first thing Izumi did was whack them both on the head, and then pull them both into a tight hug. Homare frowned and realized there would a whole group of people that they would still (deservingly) have to apologize to.

He bowed his head (and forced Hisoka to do the same by pushing his head down), “I’m very sorry for the trouble we’ve caused. It won’t happen again.”

Sakyo looked furious, but it was obvious it stemmed from worry. “As long as you know not to do it again. Not to mention, one of you is the _lead_ for the play tomorrow. Know that just because you missed practice doesn’t mean I’ll accept anything less than a superior performance, you got that?”

“…Zzzz.”

“Why you-”

“Ah, give them a break, Sakyo-san. There’s no use crying over spilled milk now. It’s Hisoka-san after all, he’ll give a proper performance.” Banri smiled, waving his hand at a nonexistent fly. Even with how aloof he was acting now, Homare remembered the relief that were in those eyes when they came home. He hid a smile behind his hand. The Autumn Troupe leader had really grown into a proper adult and as a leader.

“…Settsu…”

“I’ll take responsibility for this, and make sure Hisoka-san is up to par for tomorrow.” Tsumugi promised, holding a hand to his chest. 

“No. It’ll be me taking responsibility.”

Homare and everyone else turned their head to see Chikage entering the common room. He looked like he had just come out of the bath, and had changed into some new clothes. “I’m the Co-Lead after all, please leave this to me.”

Sakuya brightened up, "You're so cool, Chikage-san!" he cheered. Homare didn't bother hiding his smile this time when he saw how Chikage's eyes softened from the praise.

"Yeah. I can definitely help too, so just ask if you want my expertise." Tenma smiled, holding a fist to his chest.

Yuki made a sound of exasperation, "The Psycho Sleeper would manage just fine without _your_ expertise."

"Hey!!"

Sakyo’s lips stretched into a thin line at he stared at Chikage, “You sure talk big now, huh… fine. This will be left to you. Don’t disappoint me. We’ll be having an extra long practice this morning _and_ tonight to make up for the missed ones. Don’t be late.”

After everyone went back to what they were doing, Homare sneaked off to find Chikage. He figured that while he wouldn’t get quite the beatdown that Hisoka received, Chikage would still want to reprimand him. 

He managed to find Chikage on the balcony, with his hands against the railings and looking ahead. It reminded Homare of the night of the roommate switch. Most definitely, the other man would have noticed his presence by now. “…Chikage-kun, I’m sor-”

“-I’m sorry, Homare-san.”

Homare’s eyes widened, “What? Why are you-”

Chikage turned to face Homare properly. “I told you I would take care of it. And I failed. I put both you and Hisoka in danger last night, and I’m sorry for that.”

Homare immediately held up his hands, “P-Please wait a moment. It certainly wasn’t your fault, Chikage-kun. You’re the last person I would blame-”

“-I knew that July was here to capture Hisoka."

Homare's eyes widened. "That's-... Why didn't you tell us earlier..?"

Chikage smiled in resignation, "I didn't tell either of you about July's plan since I didn't want you two to get any more involved in it than you needed to be. Or worse, have either of you acting recklessly or unpredictably. I _know_ from first-hand experience how the two of you get when the other is in potential danger. You didn't think twice before you decked a spy from a dangerous organization in the face, and took a machete to the arm. In Hisoka's case, he got quite… _fussy_ that one time when I texted him that you were talking to July." he explained, before he paused for a moment to recall all of the bodily and psychological harm that Hisoka was going to 'shove up Chikage's ass if he didn't stick a knife in July and pull Arisu away _now'._ The only reason Hisoka didn't act on said threats was because Chikage followed up three seconds later to say that July had left.

He shook his head to clear away some of the mental imagery that arose from Hisoka's more… _explicit_ threats. "…At the very least, I should have trailed you, but I knew Hisoka would have noticed me following you two, and I didn't want him running away from me and attracting unnecessary attention. …You don't have to worry though, I’ll put an end to this tonight.” Chikage promised, his conviction evident in his voice.

Homare stared at him in silence before moving closer to join him at the railing. “…You should have just told us, Chikage-kun. You don't have to handle everything on your own. Neither Hisoka-kun or I are particularly helpless, after all. …I have a pretty good teacher, you see." he said, his lips curving into a smile.

Chikage's eyes widened briefly, before a slow smile graced his lips. "...I'd say you're still pretty helpless."

Homare huffed, and gently pressed a fist into Chikage's shoulder, "Hisoka-kun said the same thing! You two are ever so rude to me!"

Chikage chuckled, "Well… I suppose the two of us _are_ similar in some ways. We were family for a long time."

Homare didn't miss a beat, "Now you two will be family forever."

Chikage was silent as he mulled over the word 'forever'. He knew that someone like him didn't deserve soft and warm words like forever and family. He was certain that he would leave the moment his existence posed a threat to Spring Troupe and to the rest of the company, but Homare would probably throw a fit if he said that out loud.

It was a few moments before he spoke again, "Forever, huh..?" he murmured, eyes downcast. Before the other man could comment, Chikage turned to look at Homare. "By the way, I'll let the two of you know ahead of time should anything like this happen again. …I promise." he said, testing the words out on his tongue. He still wasn't very used to making promises as a way to apologize. "...Either way, I still owe you for all the trouble I caused."

Homare frowned at the lacklustre answer, but he relented, and let Chikage change the subject. The other man's face looked like he had just eaten an entire bag of marshmallows by himself, after all. That's how Homare knew he meant his promise, and he figured that was enough to warrant some leniency. "There's one more way you could pay me back." he suggested. When Chikage only raised an eyebrow in silence, Homare turned to smile at him. “Be my best man for my wedding?"

“…Ah. Apologies. I’ve already been asked by Hisoka back in the hotel while we were having our fight. Although, I did end up agreeing, after I bashed his head into the wall for the third time. …I'm a little surprised that all of you only noticed after the fourth time I bashed his head into the wall, but you _were_ all pretty engrossed with trying to out-sap each other. Winter Troupe really loves each other, huh? Well… Spring Troupe won't lose either.”

Homare groaned loudly into his arms. “Life is such a cruel mistress! Hisoka-kun’s doing everything first! He confessed first, he proposed first… at this rate, he’ll even consummate-”

“-Okay, alright. I’m going to need you to stop talking now.”

Homare smiled. “Perhaps, I could ask Itaru-kun to be my best man then? Doesn’t that fill your soul with passion knowing your fated one would be your pair?”

“I recall asking you to stop talking.” Chikage deadpanned, before he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. “It’s time for morning practice. …It feels like so much has happened so far, but it really started at five in the morning. I haven’t slept yet, not to mention I couldn’t even practice properly, and the first day is tomorrow…”

Homare’s smile turned guilty, “As I figured, you really are mad. My sincerest apologies.”

Chikage smiled menacingly in return, “Just don’t do it again. And don’t forget to charge your phone from now on.” he said, before he pointed at said phone in Homare’s hand. “By the way, I'll be putting a tracker on that. It's non-negotiable. I already had one on Hisoka’s, but that clearly didn't do me any good. I think I'll put one on your laptop too.” he added with all the casualty of someone listing off items on a shopping list. Before he left, he reached a hand to ruffle Homare’s hair. “Congratulations on your engagement, by the way. When I see you two together, it… never mind. See you.”

“Thank you.” Homare murmured to Chikage’s back, who held his hand up in goodbye before he left the balcony.

Homare closed his eyes as he braced his hands against the railing, letting the wind run through his fingers. He could feel it, Hisoka and him would be just fine.

If Hisoka’s love for him didn't dissipate, that is.

Homare’s eyes snapped open at the intrusive thought, and his fingers gripped the railing until his hands were numb.

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Hisoka knocked on the door of Room 206. He stepped back a few steps, and watched as it swung open. Guy nodded at him, “Mikage. Perfect timing.” he said, and moved aside to let the other man into the room.

Hisoka listened as the others explained how they were preparing for the dart match tournament. “I’m thinking of heading out for a bit.” Hisoka finally announced, keeping his tone aloof. He figured that the least he could do would be to tell them, after what happened in the morning.

Homare raised an eyebrow at Hisoka, and there was concern evident in his eyes, “Oh? Did you have something to do?” he asked, knowing full well what that ‘something’ was, since he could connect the dots from his talk with Chikage earlier.

“Something really important. I can’t tell you the details, but… I just wanted to tell you I’ll be on my way.” Hisoka responded, resisting the urge to hold Homare in his arms and reassure him with useless platitudes on how he’ll stay safe.

Azuma nodded. His face was composed, but there was still clearly worry on his face as well. “I see…”

Hisoka held up two of his fingers, “Settling my past… Part two.” he deadpanned.

Tasuku exhaled loudly, and ran a hand through his hair. “What the heck? How many parts are there?”

Guy shook his head quietly, “It doesn’t seem like it will end soon.”

Hisoka steeled his expression, “This will be the last. I’ll return home for sure… so,” he said, before moving towards Homare. “…hold on to these for me.”

Recognition shone in Homare’s eyes as he accepted the bag. “Why, these are the limited-edition marshmallows from the other day.”

Azuma laughed elegantly, “Fufu, he’s been keeping count.”

Hisoka gently brushed Homare’s hair out of his face, and leaned forward to press a kiss to the other man’s forehead, “Arisu, don’t snack on them.”

Homare huffed, before leaning down and returning the gesture. “I shall do no such thing. I am not you, after all. In any case, I shall look after them for you.” Homare hesitated for a moment, before pulling Hisoka into a tight hug. “…Take care.”

Azuma moved forward to run his fingers through Hisoka’s hair, “Make sure to come back home.”

Tasuku patted his back, “The first day of the performance is just around the corner. It can’t start without the lead actor.”

Guy nodded his head, and placed his hand on Hisoka's shoulder, “We can’t win the darts tournament without you, Mikage.”

Tsumugi placed a hand on Hisoka's other shoulder, and smiled genuinely, “We’ll all be waiting. See you later.”

If it was hard to pull away from endless outpour of affection, adoration, and support, Hisoka didn’t show it on his face. “I’m off.”

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 _April_ : I’ve captured December.

July smirked, and sent off his reply about meeting him soon.

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“Alright gentlemen, that is quite enough. It’s time to retire for the night.” Homare frowned, arms crossed across his chest.

Hisoka made a sound of annoyance, but put the darts down anyway. Chikage moved his elbow to cover his mouth, “Whipped.” he said in between fake coughs. Homare had to step in and stop the two from brawling when Hisoka ‘accidentally’ stepped on Chikage’s foot.

Homare sighed as he restrained Hisoka in his arms by hugging the shorter man. “My, such a rowdy bunch.” he murmured, but his tone was affectionate. He smiled as he looked up at Chikage. “My praise once again on a job well done. It was truly a fantastic play, and an even more fantastic final performance.”

Chikage smiled in return, “Thank you. I had a rather troublesome lead to look after this time, but I’m glad everything went smoothly.”

Homare hesitated for a moment, before looking Chikage in the eye. “And did _it_ … go smoothly?”

Chikage nodded, “All taken care of, like I promised. There shouldn’t be any trouble from now on. And if there is… well, I told the Director I wouldn’t put myself in danger anymore, but it’s not like I can just stand back if there’s another thing that springs up.”

Homare smiled, “You seem happy, though. As I expected, you secretly enjoy having others worry about you, right?”

Chikage’s lips stretched into a thin line as he shook his head. “…You’re mistaken. Good night, you two.” Chikage responded, and he left the practice room with a wave of his hand. The second the man shut the door, Hisoka moved to cling onto Homare’s arm.

“I’m not whipped.”

Homare smiled indulgingly as he stroked through Hisoka’s hair, “You’re certainly not. You always do things at your own pace, after all. Shall we head back to our room to retire for the night too?”

“Zzzz…”

“As you wish.”

Homare lifted the man in his arms, and started carrying them back towards their room. In his arms, Hisoka started mumbling random nonsensical things. Homare thought it was adorable, but he’s also never seen or heard Hisoka do that before. The man could be near silent in his sleeping sometimes, to the point that Homare worried whether he was still breathing or not.

“I wonder if you’re dreaming?” Homare wondered quietly to himself.

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“Hello, Decem-… Hisoka. How are you?”

Hisoka shrugged. He enjoyed seeing August again, of course, but a dream was a dream – which meant he felt about ten times as tired as when he was awake. “I’m fine. The final performance of Scarlet Mirror just passed. I was the Lead, and Chikage was the Co-Lead.”

August laughed, “You’ve become even more of a theatre fool, haven’t you… not that I’m against it. I’m glad you have something you’re passionate about. …Don’t you have any other news for me, though?”

Hisoka blinked owlishly in exhaustion. “Me and Chikage outed July as a traitor to the Organization.”

“Oh… I see. Well done." August murmured, the flicker of sadness in his eyes disappearing in just a split second. "Any _other_ news, though?”

“… I don’t think so?”

August’s shoulders slumped in disappointment, “Is that so..?” he sighed. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a cookie. He walked towards Hisoka, and handed the cookie over to him. “This is for you. Be careful not to rip the wrapper, okay?”

Hisoka nodded, and carefully unraveled the cookie. Instead of the white and cream patterned background on the inside of the wrapper that he was expecting, there was already a message written on it. His eyebrows narrowed in confusion when he recognized the handwriting. “…We’re already engaged though, Arisu…”

Hisoka nearly dropped the cookie when August suddenly cheered and jumped on the spot. “Yes!” the man cheered, pumping his fist into the air. “Why didn’t you tell me, December?!”

Hisoka stared blankly at the other man, “…You already seem to know, though.”

August pouted, “…I want to see Homare again, you’re no fun at all.”

“Zzzz…”

“Don’t fall asleep! You’re already asleep!” August yelled exasperatedly, moving to take the cookie in Hisoka’s hand and putting it into Hisoka’s mouth.

“Nng…” Hisoka’s eyes slowly opened, “Not marshmallows.” he complained, but he didn’t fall back asleep.

August sighed fondly, “You really are still the same as ever, huh… I’m glad. I’m glad that Homare loves you for who you truly are.”

“…Chikage is going to be my best man for the wedding. I think Arisu is scheming with Chikage to somehow convince Itaru to date Chikage, so Itaru might be Arisu’s best man.”

August’s eyes glistened, “I-I… I think I’m going to cry. I’m so happy for you two…” he sniffled, hiding his face in his hands.

Hisoka frowned when the surroundings around him started to blur. “August… I have to go back now.” he forced out, feeling his eyes grow heavier with each passing second.

August nodded, and reached forward to pat Hisoka on the head. “I understand. I hope you and Homare can spend happy days together for the rest of your lives. You have my blessing, Hisoka, and I’m so proud of you. Good night.”

Hisoka closed his eyes, “Good night, August. It's thanks to you that my life is full of happy days. I'll spend the rest of the life you gave me with my most treasured person."

"Decem-"

"-H-Hisoka-kun…" Homare laughed quietly, "My goodness, where's my phone? Chikage-kun is going to love this."

"What..?" Hisoka mumbled, voice laden with sleep. He was sitting against a wall in the hallway, so he couldn't have been asleep for all that long.

"Oh, you're awake, love. I'm happy to see you, but I'm admittedly a little bummed. You were reciting my poetry in your sleep. I was just about to record it and send it to Chikage-kun. …Hisoka-kun? Why are you strangling yourself-?" Homare asked, kneeling down to try and pry Hisoka's fingers away from his throat.

" _-Dammit_ , Hisoka _._ You two are in a public _hallway._ There are _children_ here."

"Ah, greetings, Chikage-kun. You won't believe it! Hisoka-kun was-"

Hisoka wrapped his arms around the back of Homare's neck, and pulled him closer to interrupt him with a kiss.

Chikage blanched, and looked up at the ceiling. "...I'm sorry, August. Your precious December is now a disgusting, whipped, and hopeless romantic who acts shamelessly in public hallways."

Homare pulled back momentarily to give Chikage a thumbs up, "Actually, August-san gave me his blessing to marry Hisoka-kun."

"...Why did _you_ see him before I did?"

Homare shrugged, "I suppose he appreciates the intricacies of my relationship with Hisoka-kun."

"Right." Chikage chuckled sarcastically. "Because the intricacies between a couple who are complete opposites, and defy every odd to stay together makes for an adorable love story that only a weirdo like August could _appreciate_. Most people would be worried for you two."

"..."

"...Homare-?"

Hisoka yawned, and rubbed at his eye. "Arisu, I'm tired. Can we go to sleep now?"

"O-Oh, I suppose it's pretty late, huh? Let's go to bed then, love. Shall I carry you again?" Homare asked with a strained smile, holding out his arms.

Hisoka stared blankly at him for a few moments, before he sighed. He walked over and looped their arms together, "...It's fine. Just stay by my side."

Homare's eyes widened, before he smiled in return, "Of course!"

After Homare said his goodbyes to Chikage, he let Hisoka half-drag them towards their room. Hisoka was staring pointedly ahead, before changing course and leading them to the courtyard.

"H-Hisoka-kun-?"

Hisoka let go of Homare's arm to step in front of him and leveled the other man with a blank stare. "...What's wrong with you?"

Homare held up his hands placatingly, "W-What did I do..?"

"You're acting strange."

Homare inwardly grimaced. Why did his fiancé have to be so perceptive? "...You're mistaken."

Hisoka frowned, "Arisu is lying to me. I hate it when Arisu does that."

"I'm… truly not lying." Homare answered, eyes downcast. He wrung his hands together nervously, "...More like it's a trivial thing of sorts."

"...Is it about what Chikage said? He was just being bitter."

Homare was silent for a few moments, before he sighed. "...Say, do you like my poetry, Hisoka-kun?"

Hisoka's eyes narrowed at Homare's blatant attempt to change the subject. However, it seemed to be connected to why the other man was so distressed, so he played along. "...I like yours. Some of them." he replied, before he closed his eyes and forced out the rest of his sentence, "I liked them enough to recite them in my sleep, right?"

Homare's eyes widened slightly, before he broke out laughing quietly. "Y-You have such a constipated expression on your face, Hisoka-kun. Woe is you, and the things you do for love."

Hisoka knew he was being made fun of, but any feelings of irritation were an undercurrent to the much stronger worry and concern he held for the other man. So instead of saying something mildly sarcastic and snappy in return, he continued trying to get to the crux of the issue. "...You are happier now, but your smile is still off. Is it really about what Chikage said? I could just get rid of him."

"Please don't." Homare answered immediately with a strained smile, holding a hand up.

Homare then looked contemplative for a moment, before he slowly lowered his hand. "...It really isn't about that… or perhaps it is, I'm not certain. More like it feeds into my… dilemma, if you will."

"What is your dilemma?"

Homare found himself at a lost for words, and it was a few moments before he spoke again. "...It's a problem I have with myself. I'm working on it."

"...Can I help?"

Homare forced his smile to stay as genuine as he could, "Not particularly?" he answered.

I don't want you to leave me.

"It's just another one of my lows."

You'll get tired of me eventually.

"I'll be back to normal soon, I assure you." Homare said, reaching forward to hold Hisoka's hands in his own.

Hisoka still looked wholly unconvinced, but he just exhaled softly and butted his head into Homare's chest. "...Tell me if there's a way for me to help. I just want Arisu to be happy again."

Homare's smile was much more genuine this time, and so was the kiss he pressed to the top of Hisoka's hair, "You make me happy."

"You make me happy too. But I can't be happy if you're not."

"...I'll tell you soon. Sorry to keep worrying you, darling."

Hisoka moved his head back, and stared into Homare's eyes, "Promise me?

"I promise." Homare responded, and leaned down to kiss his fiancé.

When they pulled back, Homare let Hisoka lead him by the hand back to their room. Homare suddenly yelped as he was tossed over Hisoka's shoulder, carried up the ladder, and then gently placed onto the bed.

"...Arisu needs to be warm when they're sad." Hisoka mumbled, lovingly wrapping Homare in multiple blankets.

"U-Um, you have my gratitude-"

"I'll put your poetry books around you."

"T-That's not particularly-"

Hisoka picked up one of his poetry books, "I'll read a few lines to you."

Homare's mouth fell open slightly, before he was smiling. While the turmoil he was feeling still plagued him, and he knew that he would need to have a proper talk with Hisoka sooner than later, he was more than willing to let the overwhelming love and adoration he had for his fiancé lull him to sleep.

Hisoka flipped through the pages. His eyes narrowed. Why did every page make less sense than the last one? He finally settled on a few pages near the end. When he was about to start, a soft snore caught his attention. He put the book down in his lap, and sighed quietly. "Seriously..?" he whispered. But warmness bloomed in his chest when he saw the smile on Homare's face as he slept. "...Well, it's fine. As long as you can smile like that."

Before he could close the poetry book he was holding, a slip of paper fell out from one of the pages. Hisoka caught it mid-air. His eyes widened with recognition, before he slowly shook his head and deduced that he was probably two-thirds asleep already. Nevertheless, he slipped the piece of paper into his hoodie pocket.

Hisoka collected the poetry books and put them on his own bed, before he snuggled underneath the blanket with his fiancé. "...Thank you for letting me stay by your side. I'll never get tired of this, so… I look forward to falling asleep next to you for the rest of my life." he whispered, before he let the lull of sleep overtake him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Alright, real talk for one moment... I didn't realize it during the week, but I think this week was one of the worst weeks I've had emotional and mental wise since quarantine started. I WFH, and I thought that since I am an introvert, I would be fine, but it's just taken its toll on me more slowly, so I didn't even notice it creeping up. Today I just feel unwell & unbalanced. That's why I'm updating this on a Sunday night/Monday morning in hopes I'll make myself happier by making at least some of you happier <3 
> 
> Also side note, even if I don't reply to your comments until later, I 100% see them and re-read them x 1198 times before the notif email even gets sent out. This story is my bby, ofc I'm going to obsessively refresh it every minute of every day. That being said, thank you once again for reading and for commenting, sharing, and giving kudos & bookmarks <33
> 
> P.S. Yes, of course I made Hisoka say exactly what Homare needed to hear right after Homare fell asleep. Who do you think I am.


	8. The Second Vow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back!
> 
> I was/still am in a HUGE Furanono (Franz/Nonomiya, from Noctournality) mood. I just love these two bastards so much. Yes, I know they never interact. BUT I'm planning on fixing that >:) I'm planning on writing a multi-chap story on their backstory/meeting for the first time to --> being stupidly in love present, for them! It'll probably be T-rated, and then I'll just post any NSFW as one-shots that pair with the story maybe? The only question then is if I get started before WTMF is finished, or after... hmm...
> 
> And yes - I did change my username. It's to signify my love for eggs and milk. Eggs are my favourite, but Tsumugi isn't hAAhaha. He's close to the top though.

When Homare woke up, he was mildly confused to see Hisoka already awake. The other man was sitting up and staring hard at a piece of paper in his hand. From the angle that Homare was laying, he couldn’t clearly see what it looked like. 

“Good morning, my love. You woke up before I did… I wonder is this is a premonition of sorts? What are you looking at, Hisoka-kun?”

Hisoka made a sound of acknowledgement, “…Nothing much.” he eventually responded. But the way he carefully folded the piece of paper and placed it beneath his pillow on his own bed said otherwise. Homare decided it wasn’t something worth questioning. He stretched his arms, and pushed the blanket off of himself.

“Well, I’ll be getting ready first, so-”

“…I’ll get up too.”

“You mustn’t! I-I mean, um-”

Hisoka’s eyes narrowed as the other man avoided his gaze. “…What are you scheming?”

Homare pouted, but still didn’t look Hisoka in the eye, “Could you please stop it with the scheming this, and scheming that! …I’m not planning to do anything bad.”

Hisoka pushed his face closer to Homare’s, and cradled the side of his face to make Homare look at him properly. Homare blushed when he realized how close Hisoka’s face was to his own. “…I can tell that you’re lying, Arisu…” he whispered, his lips a hairbreadth away from kissing the other man. “Tell me the truth.”

If it were possible for steam to come out of Homare’s ears, it would probably be happening right now. “U-Um, I… I…” Homare stuttered, feeling like his eyes were spinning. “I’m… going out to purchase our wedding rings.”

Hisoka rewarded the other man for his honesty with a kiss. “…Then why wouldn’t you want me to come with you?”

Homare flushed even more, “I… I wanted to one-up you, I suppose? You confessed first, initiated our first kiss, and proposed first, and I… just wanted to have something to offer to this relationship.”

Hisoka snorted at the admission, and held his fiancé’s hands in his own. He looked into the other man’s eyes to make sure he was paying attention. “…Arisu is really troublesome after all. Does it really matter? You are the only one I would want to confess to in the first place. Who cares if I confessed first, or even proposed first, isn’t it enough that we’re together now?”

A genuine smile slowly spread on Homare’s lips, “…You’re completely correct. I was losing sight of what’s important. Thank-” Homare felt his heart nearly stop when Hisoka smiled back, which he did a lot more of these days, but it still managed to steal Homare’s breath away every single time. “…Thank you.” Homare whispered, his eyes falling shut as he leaned in and kissed Hisoka.

“…It’s fine,” Hisoka responded once they parted, “Arisu is troublesome most of the time, so I’m used to it.”

Homare pouted, and crossed his arms over his chest, “You didn't need to call me troublesome twice.”

Hisoka kissed Homare again in lieu of an apology, even if Homare hadn’t been all that offended. “I’m going to change, and get ready.” Hisoka said, already starting to take off the pyjamas he was wearing.

Homare nodded, “Sounds good. Shall we eat breakfast here, or would you rather go out?”

“Here’s fine.”

Homare nodded again, and moved to get changed himself. Hisoka, of course, was much faster at getting ready, but he stayed to keep Homare company, and voiced out noncommittal grunts when the taller man asked him for help choosing between different clothing pieces. 

As they approached the kitchen table, they could see Omi frying some sausages and eggs. There was a stack of pancakes on a plate next to him that had Hisoka’s eyes lighting up in interest. When Omi heard the two approaching, he grinned brightly and waved. “Good morning you two. Please help yourself to breakfast. I decided on creating an American-style breakfast today.”

Homare nodded gratefully, “You have my gratitude, Omi-kun. The spread looks beautiful, as always.”

Omi’s eyes widened slightly. “Eh… I just realized. It’s pretty early for Hisoka-san to be up, isn’t it..?”

Homare grinned, “You’d be correct.” he answered, pushing the now-asleep-again Hisoka into a chair, and once he was sure he wouldn’t topple out, he poured some chicken noodle soup for the both of them. He placed the bowls down on the table, one in front of his own seat, and one in front of Hisoka. He moved back to where Omi was standing. “We’re going wedding ring shopping after breakfast.”

Omi’s eyes lit up, “Wow, congratulations you two! I’m guessing you’ll make a company-wide announcement later, then?”

Homare nodded along, ignoring the sinking feeling in his gut in favor of stacking pancakes onto Hisoka’s plate. “Well… it would be wrong to suggest that we’ve been hiding it on purpose. It just feels like I’ve been married to Hisoka-kun for so long, and I end up forgetting to tell people about it. When I’m waxing masterpieces about my burning desire and passion for him, people don’t find that out of the ordinary either, even though I feel like my poems have become twenty-three percent more passionate since our engagement. And Hisoka-kun… is Hisoka-kun.”

Omi made a sound of agreement, “I can see why, you two have been together for years now, after all. I’m not surprised that you feel like you’ve been married for a long time.”

Homare’s fingers stilled, chopsticks in his grip as they picked up a sausage. “Ah… pardon me, Omi-kun, but me and Hisoka-kun have only been together for a few days now.”

Omi froze as well, and turned his head to look at Homare properly. “Um… what? Didn’t you use to wax poetry about how you wanted Hisoka-san to kiss you?”

“Well… that is indeed true.”

“And you’ve taken care of him all of these years too… as in, _really_ taken care of him. As in, he’d probably be dead or starving in the middle of nowhere without you.”

“N-No, not at all, that’s not giving Hisoka-kun enough credit, Omi-kun.”

“No, Omi-kun is probably correct.”

Homare turned his head to see Chikage and Itaru coming into the kitchen, dressed in their business attire. Homare smiled tiredly, “Now, now-” he said, holding up a hand.

“-Hisoka is literally drowning in his soup as we speak.”

Homare yelped, and rushed back to the table to move Hisoka’s face out of his bowl. "Honestly, first the bath, and now this." Homare chided, albeit lovingly. Somehow, Hisoka had managed to hold his breath the entire time, and resumed breathing once his face was out of the liquid. Homare's eyebrow raised, "Has Hisoka-kun evolved to learn to hold his breath while sleeping when he is submerged?"

“Simp.” Itaru said, watching Homare dry Hisoka’s face with paper towels.

Homare had no idea what a ‘simp’ was, but it sounded awfully close to simpleton. He reached into his trench jacket to pull out a bag of marshmallows. He plucked one out, and pushed it into Hisoka’s mouth. “Nnng…” Hisoka mumbled, eyes opening slowly. “…Why is my face wet?”

Homare smiled, “You started crying in your sleep from hearing one of my poems.”

“…Not likely.”

“Hmp. Just eat your pancakes, fiancé. Oh, and here… use this syrup.”

Itaru’s eyes widened, “You’ve already gotten engaged? Ossu~ No wonder you’re acting like a simp. Must be hard to whale for Hisoka-san, huh. And now you’ll be doing it your entire life.”

Homare massaged his temples. Maybe Omi had a point about having to make a company-wide announcement. Normally, he would have been excited to share such great news, especially one by one, so that he could savor their individual reactions, and file it away for material later.

The sinking feeling in his gut returned.

But…

Chikage frowned in confusion. “You’ve literally told… _no one else_? I would have expected this from Hisoka, but not from you, Homare-san.”

Omi perked up, “He said it was because he feels like him and Hisoka-san have been married for a long time already, so he forgets to tell people.”

“Gross.” Chikage and Hisoka said at the same time.

“LOL. Simpin’ since the beginning, huh?” Itaru chuckled.

“Leave me alone!!” Homare grit out, face warm with embarrassment.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Arisu, I want to pay for half.”

Homare grimaced. He had his arm around Hisoka’s shoulders so that the other man could lean on him while they were walking through the different stores on Veludo Way. “That’s nice of you darling, but how do I say this… my taste is rather different from yours.”

Hisoka chuckled into Homare’s shoulder. “You mean expensive, Arisu. That’s fine. Chikage stole July’s wallet, and he gave it to me as a ‘engagement’ present. He said he’ll get me an actual ‘wedding’ present at our wedding.”

Homare nodded at the explanation, but he still looked puzzled. “Alright, but… what ever brought this on, love? You know I don’t mind taking care of you.”

Hisoka frowned, “It’s fine if you want to take care of me… but I don’t want to become dependent on you for everything. We’re supposed to be equals, right?”

“You know I would never see you as anything less than.”

Hisoka sighed, “I know that. But you… understand the feeling of wanting to contribute to a relationship too, right?” he said, trying to nudge Homare into remembering their talk in the morning.

Homare did remember their talk. He smiled, and pressed a kiss to the top of Hisoka’s head. “I suppose you’re right, Hisoka-kun. I’ve been remiss. But personally, I do find joy and value in taking care of you. I would of course appreciate any contributions you could make, but I don’t want you to push yourself. I do come from wealth, and being a genius pays rather well, after all. But… I’ll try to hold back a bit more, if it’ll make you happy. Does that sound alright with you?”

Hisoka nodded into Homare’s shoulder, “…Yeah. Just let me help every now and then. I want to be able to take care of you too. Maybe not as well as you can do it, but…”

“You take care of me and my needs just fine Hisoka-kun, don’t go thinking otherwise.”

Hisoka nodded quietly, and let Homare lead them both into another jewelry shop. This one seemed to be different from the others. While the ones they’ve been going to were all high class jewelry chains, this one had a more modest feel to it. It didn’t even appear to be a chain.

“Oh? Good morning, you two.”

Hisoka turned his head to see an elderly man coming out from the back. “Good morning!” Homare responded with a smile, bringing Hisoka with him to the front counter. “We’re looking for wedding rings and, slash, or, wedding bands.”

For the fifth time, Hisoka spoke up to correct his fiancé. “…He means wedding rings or wedding bands. Not both.”

“Ehh… but it would be nice to have both an engagement ring and wedding ring…”

“We’re _already_ engaged Arisu, there would be no point.”

The man behind the counter listened thoughtfully, before pulling out a box from a shelf behind him. He placed the box on the counter, and opened it. “How about a compromise? These two rings here were created from what were originally four separate rings. For each one, I forged the two separate rings on top of each other to create one ring. That’s why both these rings have two colors.”

Homare’s eyes widened, “Pardon me, but you said you forged them yourself?”

The man nodded, “That’s right.”

Homare beamed, “How fascinating! Let me tell you a poem from one artist to another! Craft… master. Ring… master. Decantage… Combining rings… master!” he said, ending it with a flourish of his hand.

Hisoka sleepily opened his eyes. “You can ignore him, he-”

The man’s hand trembled at he brought it to his cover his mouth. “T-This technique… could it be… are you the famed Arisugawa-sensei?”

“Oh come on.” Hisoka muttered.

“Fufufufu… so you’ve heard of me! Would you like a signature? I’m always happy to meet my fans.”

Hisoka watched with disgust as the two exchanged pleasantries, which ended with Homare signing the man’s copy of his newest poetry book.

“What an honor. Thank you, Arisugawa-sensei.”

“Not at all, the pleasure is all mine.” Homare smiled, before turning his attention to Hisoka. “Hisoka-kun? What do you think of these rings?”

Hisoka came closer, and he had to admit… for whatever horrible taste the man had in poetry, he seemed to be good at making rings. There were two rings in the box, and they both had a dark layer, but one had a copper layer, and the other ring had a silver layer.

“The black layer on both the rings were once matching engagement bands before they were forged, and is the finest black brushed titanium in the market, so it’s both beautiful, long-lasting and durable. This one here has copper, and this one here is fine silver, which is more pure than sterling silver.”

Hisoka nodded, “…I like them, Arisu.”

“Excellent! We’ll purchase the two of these then.”

Hisoka nodded, “Then the silver one will go to-”

“-Hisoka-kun, of course!”

Hisoka’s eyes widened, as he leaned off Homare’s shoulder to look at the man properly. “…But the silver looks more expensive than the copper one, Arisu.”

“Sure, but it matches your hair. And the copper one is close enough to my hair, right?”

Hisoka just nodded. He was expecting Arisu to automatically go for the more expensive of the two rings, but it appeared that the other man had more depth to his tastes than he initially thought.

The man shook his head, “Actually, in this case, the copper one is more expensive. It’s an extremely rare form of copper mined in a private mine all the way in Canada. There’s only small batches of it mined every year, and among the copper-fanatics in the world, it’s extremely valuable. It has a distinctive, almost fuchsia tint to it, you see?”

Hisoka frowned. Or perhaps Arisu just had an automatic expensive-items-tracker built into him.

Homare nodded, “Okay, sounds good. How much for the both of them?”

The man stared at the two for a moment before answering, “Truth to be told, I’ll probably retire this year. I already have a keen seller that’s been haggling me for years to buy this location to open up… I don’t know, office space, or something? So… how about this? This is my email address. If you email me an electronic copy of your newest poem book when it gets released, I’ll sell these to you at a discounted price.”

Homare nodded, taking the slip of paper and putting it into his pocket, “Sure!”

“Would you take 50,000 yen for the both of them?” Hisoka asked, ignoring Homare’s chastising about undermining artists.

“Honestly, for Arisgawa-sensei, I’d take 10,000 yen for the both of them.”

“Done.” Hisoka responded before Homare could open his mouth to refuse. Hisoka opened up July’s wallet, and placed down some money. “I don’t have any smaller change in here, so you can just keep the difference.”

The man smiled, “I see both you and Arisugawa-sensei are rather generous.”

“Not really.”

By the end of the entire process, Homare looked both horrified and enamoured with his new ring at the same time. “I… I am so mortified, Hisoka-kun. I can’t ever show my face there ever again.”

Hisoka shrugged, “…He said it was okay. Plus, I find it hard to believe you actually mean that when you’re looking at your ring like you love it more than you love me.”

“ _Ehh_?” Homare whined, tearing his eyes away from his ring, which he was holding between his fingers, and looked down at Hisoka instead. “That’s such a ridiculous notion.”

“...Does it have to do with what's been bothering you lately?” Hisoka frowned, and peered at Homare from the corner of his eye.

Homare flinched, before he sighed in defeat, “...Alright, you don’t have to keep looking at me like that. I… I have an inkling it’s going to be a long story, so shall we sit down first?”

Hisoka nodded, and let Homare bring them to a bench that was shaded by some trees. It was enough of a distance away from the street to offer some semblance of privacy. Homare seemed to mull over his words for a bit before speaking. “I… before I go on, let me reaffirm that I don’t, and won’t _ever_ regret my decision to be engaged to you, and eventually marry you. But in all honesty… it’s still hard to believe that anyone _would_ want to marry me, you see?”

“…Arisu.” Hisoka murmured quietly, and moved to clasp their hands together. He frowned when he noticed Homare's hand was trembling. Seeing the vulnerability reaffirmed Hisoka's promise to himself to protect Homare from everything he could.   
  
Even if that ‘everything’ included Homare himself. 

Homare continued to pointedly stare ahead at the people strolling through Veludo Way instead of at Hisoka. “All my life, all of my past relationships... they all ended because of me. I just so desperately wanted to be good enough for once. It hurt that the more I tried, the more I ended up hurting people. I’ve gotten better, I suppose, but you saw how I was when Winter Troupe had just formed. I am both excited and afraid of our upcoming wedding. I wasn’t lying when I told Omi-kun that sometimes, I just genuinely _forget_ because it feels so normal to have you by my side, and that being engaged with you doesn’t feel all that different than how we’ve always been. But…” Homare took a few deep breaths before continuing on, after he felt Hisoka reassuringly squeezing his hand.

“But… I’m scared of what will happen if we don’t work out, and then everyone will be upset because of me again. Because they’ll know it was my fault that we didn’t work out. I’m scared of you realizing that I really can be too annoying, clingy, stubborn and _broken_ , so much that your love for me won’t be enough to overcome that. What if I’ve been holding it back this entire time, and if we’re married, you realize you can’t actually stand me when I’m not holding it back? It's not just how different we are as people. We don't even have similar interests, so what if you eventually get… tired of me?” he whispered, tears slipping down from his eyes, “Let me tell you this… I am very selfish. One of the reasons I am excited about purchasing our rings is because to me, that’s one step closer to you having a harder time of leaving me. Isn’t that just awful? Aren’t _I_ just awful? …I'm tainting our engagement with these horrible feelings and thoughts and-”

“-Enough, Arisu.” Hisoka murmured into the other’s hair, as he held Homare to his chest and wrapped his arms securely around him. “That’s enough. I don’t want to hear you talking so badly about yourself anymore.”

Homare choked on his tears, and gripped onto Hisoka's shirt tightly, bunching the material up. "I… I don't want to be abandoned again. Please don't… don't leave me… I don't want you to go…"

Hisoka softly pressed a kiss to Homare's hair, "I won't ever leave you. I swear on my life that I'll always stay by your side, even if it kills me."

Homare quietly sobbed into Hisoka’s chest, “...B-But you might have a change of heart in the future… you even called me troublesome this morning.”

Hisoka shook his head, “I can stop saying those kind of things if you want me to.”

“No, you don’t need to stop. It’s… it’s like a term of endearment, right? Even when you call me troublesome, I can feel your affection and love running through those words. What I’m scared of… is the day that you _won’t_ have affection and love in your words directed towards me anymore. That every ‘hello’ will be bitter with ‘when are you going to leave?’ and every ‘I love you’ will be tarred by ‘just stop talking already’. I… I love you so dearly, and it hurts so unbelievably much to imagine a future where you don’t feel the same.” he finished, another sprout of hot tears running down his face as he lowered his head in shame.

Hisoka hugged Homare tighter to his chest, and rested his chin on the top of the other man’s head. “That… is so like you to feel that way, Arisu.” Hisoka made sure to keep his voice soft and loving. “But it has _never_ made sense to me. You are so incredibly loving and caring to everyone you care about, and to everyone you don’t. Yes, I got, and _will_ get angry at you for getting yourself hurt, and putting yourself in dangerous situations multiple times to protect me, but how could something like that ever make me even dislike you in the slightest? I might not like _it_ , but it’s a part of why I love you. You’re afraid that you’re holding back? It seems like you get louder and more high maintenance every day, and yet I just keep falling deeper and deeper in love with you. I can't see the surface anymore, and I wouldn't have it any other way. …I just want you to know, for the rest of my life, I will love and accept the entirety of the man that is Homare Arisugawa. You will never be too much for me, because I can’t get enough of you… your kindness, selflessness, poems, noisiness, love… I’m selfish too, you see?”

“H-Hisoka-kun…”

“Shh,” Hisoka shushed, pressing another kiss to the top of Homare’s head, “You can speak when you’re ready to. I’ll wait.”

They stayed like that for a long time, until the lunch hour rush had passed, and there was close to no one on the street anymore.

Homare exhaled softly, and made a motion to pull back from Hisoka’s arms. Hisoka grunted, and tightened his hold around Homare. “Stay.”

Homare laughed, even though his voice was strained from all of his crying. “You’re so demanding, love. …Oh, I see now. How could I have missed this?” he murmured to himself. “I see. I understand what you mean now.”

Hisoka didn’t miss a beat, “That real communication works better than you sprouting poems all the time?”

Homare laughed again, louder this time. “Well, I certainly did feel the weight of your feelings all the way to my bones. It might be best that I stay the poet in this relationship after all… but I haven’t given up on trying to make you understand the appeal of poetry.”

“…That’s fine, an Arisu that doesn’t recite poetry is scary.”

“Fufufu, that is indeed true.” he agreed, before pulling back again. “Could you let me go for a second, Hisoka-kun? Just for a moment.”

Hisoka grunted in annoyance, but relented and reluctantly let Homare out of his arms. Homare smiled as he passed his ring to Hisoka. “Here.” he said. Hisoka just gave him a blank stare in return. “I want you to put it on for me, my fiancé.” Homare further elaborated.

Hisoka wordlessly put the ring onto Homare’s finger, stopping to admire how it looked, before letting the hand go. “…Your turn, Arisu.” he said, passing his own ring to Homare.

Homare smiled as he held Hisoka’s hand with one hand, and held the ring in the other. “Darling, I have something to say, will you listen?”

“…I don’t get a choice. And now I won’t get a choice for the rest of my life." Hisoka responded, and while his face was neutral, his tone was undoubtedly fond.

Homare smiled lovingly in return, and looked deeply into his beloved's eyes. "Please tell me a poem."

"..."

"Please?" Homare tried again.

Hisoka looked like he was about two seconds away from falling asleep 'accidentally', but as always, he was devastatingly weak to his fiancé's smile. "...It won't be a good poem. Arisu won't like it."

Homare shook his head, "I have full faith in you. I know your feelings will come through, no matter what."

Hisoka still looked very reluctant, but he nodded slowly in return. He was silent for a few moments as he mulled over some ideas, before he looked Homare in the eyes again. "...I was saved by your light, when I lost my heart that night. I fell in love with your light, when you took on all my plights. I will never let go of this light… is that alright?"

Homare's eyes were teary, and so was his smile. "That's… so sweet, Hisoka-kun..." Homare's eyes slowly fell shut, "Thank you." he whispered, leaning forward to kiss Hisoka on the lips.

Hisoka's eyes fluttered shut as he accepted the kiss. It was both soft and reverent, and had him feeling out of breath when Homare pulled back, "Arisu… I love you."

Homare's cheeks were warm, and so was his smile, "I love you too, Hisoka-kun."

"...I'm never telling you another poem though." Hisoka deadpanned.

Homare nodded, smile still present and loving on his face as he slipped the ring onto Hisoka’s finger. “I expected as much. I guess we’ll always be different from one another, but that’s… fine, isn’t it? Quite frankly, a Hisoka-kun that is similar to me… the thought of it kind of scares me. But I think we’re similar in the ways that matter.”

“…You’re right. I don’t want an Arisu that’s similar to me.”

“Exactly my point.” Homare replied, before his stomach rumbled. "My goodness, we completely missed lunch. What would you like to eat?”

“…Marshmallows.”

Homare laughed, and ruffled Hisoka's hair affectionately. "I'm afraid desserts won't pass for lunch, love."

"...Crepes."

Homare's eyes widened briefly, before he slowly smiled in understanding, and held his fingers to his chin. “...What a coincidence, I was also wanting crepes. There’s a crepe cart by my editor’s office that sells a savory carrot crepe… I already know that’s not the kind of crepe you were thinking of, but perhaps that’s the point. We're alike in the ways that matter… your hand, darling.”

Hisoka hopped off the bench, and took Homare’s hand, as Homare lead them down the street. “…And don’t you dare think for even a second that I’ve forgotten how you paid for the rings all by yourself. I will not stand for this lurid betrayal. I’ll get doubly back at you, just you wait.”

Hisoka was tempted to just ignore his partner, but he eventually gave in. “…Arisu, you’ve paid for my marshmallows since like, the second day you’ve known me. It’s been about two years now.”

“…It’s been a long time since we’ve known each other, huh?” Homare replied softly. 

Hisoka let his head lean against Homare’s shoulder as he tightened his hold on his fiancé’s hand, “Yeah.”

Homare smiled, and closed his eyes as he reminisced about the last two years he's spent with the man who would eventually become his husband.

_"Perhaps he's our sleeping beauty."_

_"You had it repaired for me."_

_"I promise to be by your side when you wake up."_

"Even though we've been together for so long, there are still parts of you I can't understand at all." Homare murmured fondly.

"That's my line, Arisu… but it's fine this way, right?"

Homare didn't need to think about the answer anymore. He had his answer, and he felt it all the way to the deepest depths of his soul. "It's more than fine. In fact, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you just the way you are, Hisoka-kun."

"...You're fine the way you are too. You can keep being noisy. I don't want a quiet Arisu."

Homare's eyes slowly fluttered open. He peered to the side, and saw Hisoka's hair fanned over his shoulder, where his fiancé was resting his head. Homare chuckled, and found himself both insanely in love, and in the mood to mess with his fiancé. It was amusing to him how often those two things coincided. "How peculiar. Are you saying that if you were able to wish it so, you still wouldn't jump at the chance to silence me? What an awful lot of sleep you'd be missing out on. Though I must say, you've certainly gotten much better at saying sweet nothings, Hisoka-kun. You have my highest praise."

"...Stop sassing me, Arisu, or I'll cheat on you with quiet Arisu."

"..."

"Stop it."

"..."

"Arisu, this isn't funny."

"..."

"Arisu!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you notice? This chapter is called the Second Vow since Hisoka's speech/vow is meant to pair with Homare's in Chapter 6 (I think? The hotel one ehe). And Homare reminiscing is meant to pair with Hisoka doing it in Chapter 2 (maybe? the courtyard one). 
> 
> Anyway, Chapter 11 is looking real shitty at the moment, but I'll be busy until next Wednesday, so I know this chapter needed to go up. I've had this chapter written for nearly a month now I think? P.S. I was thinking of doing something real mean like naming this chapter "Lurid Betrayal" or something, but I didn't ;)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	9. Broken, But Beloved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, 
> 
> I finally finished my final report/paper (which is why I said I would be busy until Wednesday (today)). It felt so nice to delete all those tabs... also, happy Chikita week! Will there be Chikita in this chapter?? You'll have to read and see ;D
> 
> Also, I REALLY want to get the Franz x Nonomiya multi-chap out before Noctournality in EN ends, but I am pure e x huast ion. Thank you to everyone's kind words telling me to not overwork <3 this is a PSA to say I've already failed you all, but I appreciate the words nevertheless :D
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter~

“…Why the hell would you spend 1000 yen for _each_ save-the-fucking-date when we _all live together_.”

Homare beamed at Sakyo, who was literally vibrating in place from anger. “Because they perfectly represent me and Hisoka-kun! The save-the-dates are made with pages from my poetry books, and they smell like marshmallows-”

“-Marshmallows don’t smell like anything!”

Homare laughed and shook his head, “Of course they have a scent. Why else would I be training Hisoka-kun to sleepwalk to where I want him to go to with the scent of marshmallows alone?”

“…Clearly only Mikage could do something like that.”

Homare pouted, “Are you certain? More than half of the cost went into ensuring the save-the-dates got sprayed with only the highest-grade mist of the finest produced marshmallows-”

“If you have that much money to waste, increase your dues to the theatre!”

“But… we don’t pay dues to the theatre?”

“Exactly!”

Homare slowly took steps away from the other man when he started to mumble to himself, although Homare did hear the words ‘idiots’, and ‘more money than they know what to do with’ being thrown around. He might have also heard Itaru’s name being trashed somewhere in there too. Homare thanked Chikage internally for teaching him how to sneak away properly, which helped him successfully escape back to his room.

He sat by his desk, which was filled to the brim with wedding mood boards, magazines, and a copy of every poetry book he had ever created, both published and unpublished. In the middle of it all was a calendar, which had multiple scratched out dates on it. He sighed as he picked up and calendar and thumbed through it. Although they had chosen a date for their wedding already to create the save-the-dates, Homare was almost getting whiplash from how often the ‘perfect wedding date’ in his mind changed.

January 23rd.

It was chosen by looking at Hisoka’s and Homare’s birthdays, and choosing the date in the middle between the two dates. It also fit their troupe, since it would most definitely end up being a winter wedding. It wasn’t on a holiday. And yes, it was just a day after Azuma’s birthday, but sometimes it felt like they were celebrating a birthday every two weeks anyway with how many people were at Mankai. So really, it was a moot point to try to choose a day away from the others’ birthdays.

Azuma had certainly not cared, and even seemed to enjoy the prospect of being able to drink as much as he wanted two nights in a row.

Homare groaned, and tossed the calendar back onto his desk. It wasn’t just the date (as great as it was), that he was struggling with deciding. He kept going between different color palettes, catering choices, outfits, and even the invite list. Everyone at Mankai was invited of course – that was by far the easiest decision Homare had to make. The problem was… he always imagined having a grand, large wedding. But that also meant it would have to be Homare inviting more of his family, friends, and acquaintances to hit the number of invitees he was originally thinking of.

It wasn’t like he could ask Hisoka to invite more of his own family and acquaintances, after all.

The thought saddened him… that outside of Mankai, Hisoka had no other relations to anyone. In fact, outside of Mankai, there might potentially be more people that know ‘December’ rather than ‘Hisoka Mikage’.

Homare closed his eyes, leaned his head back on the top of his chair, and crossed his arms over his chest. He wondered if he could really be enough to keep Hisoka from being lonely-

“…Arisu.” Hisoka whispered. Homare’s eyes snapped open just in time to see Hisoka lean down and kiss him from behind, “…It’s just a wedding. Don’t worry about it so much. I’m already married to you, as far as I’m concerned.”

Homare smiled in response, and got out of his chair to hug the other man to his chest. “I concur. Although, this would be easier if you had more opinions on the wedding.”

Hisoka grunted. “You’re the one who wants to have a wedding, I don’t care either way. You want a big, crowded wedding right? You probably know enough people for that.”

Homare sighed into Hisoka’s hair. “I probably do, but then it wouldn’t be a celebration of us, it would be a celebration of _me_. And I’d rather have no wedding if it comes to that.”

“…I don’t want to hear that from the person who spent four hours literally crying over five different shades of white for the tablecloths. But you should do it again. It was funny seeing Chikage coming in every half an hour to make sure you weren’t secretly being abused by me.”

“He would never think that.”

“I know. He was checking to make sure what kind of mental ward he should put you in.”

Homare snorted, “If I’m being perfectly honest, I feel like everyone here needs therapy anyway.”

“…You’re probably right.”

As if on cue, Chikage’s voice carried over as he knocked on the door, “Homare-san? It's Chikage. Can me and Chigasaki come in?”

“Please come in, Chikage-kun, Itaru-kun.”

The door swung open, and opened to reveal Chikage and Itaru. The latter was thumbing through his phone. “Ossu~” he said in greeting, waving his free hand, but not breaking eye contact with his phone.

“Chigasaki, they’re literally getting married in about two months, can’t you put that away?”

Itaru frowned, still not looking up, “I’m looking up deals for catering. Homare-san, do you prefer self serve buffet-style or sit down dinner service?”

“Dinner service, definitely.”

“GG~ I can’t game well while I’m in a buffet line.”

Chikage sighed, “Can’t you stop thinking about games for even one moment?” he asked, but his tone was fond as he secretly smiled at Itaru.

Well, secret to only Itaru since he still hadn’t looked up from his screen. Homare grinned, and leaned down to whisper into Hisoka’s ear, “See? Matchmaking FTW.”

“…Homare-san, you’ll ruin your poetry skills if you learn vocabulary from Chigasaki.” Chikage said, perfectly picking up every word that had come out of Homare’s mouth.

Homare raised an eyebrow, “On the contrary, my newest poetry book, _Gamers Rise Up_ , has been selling exceptionally well, and I put a lot of the new words I learned from Itaru-kun in there.” he replied, before walking over and wrapping an arm around Chikage’s shoulder. “It’s been really popular with _gamers_ in particular. You know, _gamers_. Gamers adore it. Gamers.”

Chikage grimaced as he looked down at Homare. “Yes, thank you, Homare-san. I think you’ve made your point quite apparent by now.”

Homare raised an eyebrow, “Made my point quite apparent? What ever do you mean? That was a poem. It was taken right out of my book, in fact. I've been pretty popular on Instablam as of late. My fans have been using it as their caption and have been tagging me in their posts.”

“I hate everyone in this room.” Chikage deadpanned.

“…Senpai, roll this gacha for me.”

Chikage made a noise of frustration, but he turned to face Itaru to take the phone from his hands anyway. “I knew you weren’t actually looking at-…”

Homare’s eyes glistened as he looked at the screen, “GG! Ktkr.”

“That’s the spirit, Homare-san.”

Chikage gulped, “…Chigasaki, what is the meaning of this?” he asked, turning the phone around in Itaru’s direction, which just had the memo application open with a note saying, ‘will u go out with m3 senpaiii <3’.

“Will you go out with me senpaiii…” Itaru repeated out loud in perfect monotone. His face would have been completely neutral, had it not been for the blush on his face.

Chikage’s eyes widened, before a small smile appeared on his face, “…Such an uncute junior. But I will accept your offer.”

“It’s still better than that time Homare-san gave me super spicy chai, passed you a bottle of water on your way back from practice, and locked us both in our room so we could understand how it felt to ‘be passionately drawn to each other’.”

_Itaru was searching things up on his computer in his room when he heard knocking coming from the door. “Come in.” he called out._

_The door swung open to reveal Homare, who shut the door behind him. “Good evening, Itaru-kun. I see that Chikage-kun isn’t back from evening practice yet.”_

_Itaru shook his head, his attention still focused on his computer screen. “No, but he should be done soon. It’s just additional practice, after all. What a theatre fool.”_

_Homare smiled, and came closer to the other man. “…You’re searching up acting techniques right now, though.”_

_Itaru sighed, and stretched his arms. “It can’t be helped. It’s not like there’s any play coming up soon that I need to worry about, and with this SSR Gwen event dropping tonight, I don’t want my acting to be distracted by it.”_

_Homare inwardly chuckled, and wondered if Itaru realized that he had begun to worry more about gaming affecting his acting lately, rather than the other way around-_

_“And the biggest thing, obviously, is that I can’t game and act at the same time.”_

_-or maybe not._

_Homare’s phone vibrated three times consecutively in his pocket. “Well, keep up the good work, Itaru-kun,” Homare said, before putting down a takeout cup next to Itaru’s hand on the desk. “To express my gratitude for agreeing to be my best man, here’s a chai tea latte from that café you and Chikage-kun like.”_

_Itaru barely spared it a glance, but a small smile did spread across his face. “Thanks Homare-san, and I already told you, it’s no biggie. I’m happy to do it.”_

_Homare nodded, only feeling a little bit guilty when he felt the phone in his pocket vibrate four more times. “It might still be a bit… hot, so I’d let it rest for a few more minutes first. Well, I’ll be on my way now. Good night, Itaru-kun.”_

_Itaru nodded back, even though he hadn’t even looked at Homare once the entire time he’s been in the room, “Good night.”_

_As Homare waited a few meters away from Room 103, he let himself ‘coincidentally’ run into Chikage, who looked like he was on his way back from practice. “Ah, Chikage-kun.” Homare smiled, and held the water bottle in his direction, “Back from practice, I see. Thanks for your hard work.”_

_“Thanks.” Chikage responded, taking the bottle from Homare._

_“I was just on my way back from talking to Itaru-kun about the wedding, so I’ll be retiring for the night now. Good night.”_

_“Of course you wouldn’t be able to wait until at least the morning to ask. Good night, Homare-san.”_

_Chikage let the door close behind him, and walked up to Itaru, who was on his computer. “I’m home.”_

_“Welcome home.” Itaru replied. Chikage’s sudden appearance reminded him that he still had the chai tea latte waiting for him on his desk._

_“Homare-san can be really impatient sometimes… but it’s about his wedding, so I’m not surprised.”_

_“He didn’t say anything about his wedding, though?”_

_“But-”_

_Chikage flinched when Itaru slammed the drink down on the table before he fell to his knees on the floor, coughing harshly and his hands clawing at his throat. “C-Chigasaki?!” he yelled, before he moved to get to the door, “Hold on, I’ll get help-”_

_Chikage’s eyebrows narrowed when he pulled on the door, and realized that it wouldn’t open. “What the hell?”_

_“W-Water…” Itaru groaned, breathing out puffs of hot air._

_Suddenly, everything made sense. Chikage rushed back to the other man, and held a hand to his back to support him before he pushed the water bottle to his lip, “Hurry.”_

_Itaru took desperate sips of the chilled water, before he pulled back to breathe. “Oh my god… I know I told Homare-san that I didn’t mind spicy things, b-but that tastes like it’s had thirty different spices thrown in.”_

_Chikage frowned, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he actually did throw thirty spices in.” he replied, before angrily turning his head towards the door, “And I did_ not _teach you how to lock a door from the outside with a paperclip for this!”_

Hisoka shrugged from where he was sitting. “…I thought it was it was a good idea.”

“No, you didn’t. You only helped him because you wanted to get me riled up.” Chikage retorted, pointing an accusing finger at the other man. “Fine, you want to play this game on getting riled up? How about that time that Homare-san literally disappeared off the face of the Earth after you accidentally deleted six pages of his unsaved poems because you were trying to order hot cocoa mix from his laptop? And then he took all the marshmallows in Manaki with him to god knows where so he could teach you a lesson on being more careful with his work?”

_Tasuku made an unimpressed face at Homare as the other man hummed, and started putting down things in front of everyone in the troupe minus Hisoka. “-and this is a GPS that will let you know exactly where I am at all times, here’s the number to my spare phone, and this is where I’ll be hiding most of the time.” he said, putting down the last item with a flourish of his hand. “I’ll be leaving my actual phone in my room, so please don’t contact that one if you need to get a hold of me.”_

_Tsumugi held up his hands in protest, “U-Um, Homare-san, don’t you think this is way too excessive? I’m sure Hisoka-san didn’t mean to accidentally delete your work.”_

_Homare shook his head, “Of course he didn’t mean to. I’m not even angry, he’s apologized sincerely, after all. This isn’t punishment either. I wouldn’t play those sort of mind games with him. I just want to teach him a lesson on what it feels like to lose important things ‘permanently’, so that hopefully, he’ll be more careful with my work next time.”_

_Tsumugi was still frowning, but he nodded slowly. “…I still don’t get it, but I also don’t think you’re going to back out of this anytime soon. But you have to promise that the second we tell you Hisoka-san is too upset, you have to come back right away, understood?”_

_Homare nodded, “I don’t think losing all his marshmallows for six to eight hours will have such a drastic effect on him, especially since he’ll be asleep for most of it, but yes, please do let me know if he gets too upset, and I’ll return post-haste with the marshmallows immediately.”_

_Azuma was frowning with an unsettled expression on his face, “…I really am not in favor of this... but you promise that you’ll return immediately when we ask you to, Homare?”_

_Homare nodded, and held his hand to his chest over his heart, “Cross my heart and hope to die, you have my word, Azuma-san. I left him a note explaining why I left too, so I think he won’t be too overly concerned about my well-being.”_

_His troupe reluctantly let him go after that. Homare took the suspiciously giant bag that was filled to the brim with marshmallows with him as he sneaked out of Mankai. He had left his phone on his desk, and a note on Hisoka’s desk: ‘Now you’ll understand the anguish of losing important things, with no way of ever getting them back. -Arisu’._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_Hisoka took one look at the note, grabbed it, and wordlessly ran all the way to Chikage’s room. Upon hearing the loud knocking, Chikage opened the door, and was about to complain about it being midnight, before he realized that Hisoka was crying. Hisoka passed the note to Chikage, who frowned upon reading it._

_“…We’ll find him, I promise. Come in, I have some ideas.”_

_Hisoka nearly collapsed against Chikage when the other man grabbed his hand and pulled him into the room. Chikage knew Itaru had to be awake by now, but the man wisely chose to pretend that he was still asleep. “…Do you have any idea on why he would have left?”_

_Hisoka was silent for nearly a minute as Chikage typed different codes into his laptop at a ridiculous speed. “…I,” he started, coughing when he realized his voice was barely there, “I accidentally deleted some of his unsaved poems… I didn’t mean to though, Chikage, I swear.” he said, voice soft and broken at the same time._

_Chikage frowned, “Hey now, it’s fine. It’s not that big of a deal, not even to Homare-san, I promise. I can get back deleted documents in my sleep – especially non-password protected ones.”_

_Hisoka trembled as his hand gripped Chikage’s shoulder tightly, “…Then why does he suddenly hate me?”_

_“He doesn’t hate you. He loves you a ridiculous amount, and something tells me you could ruin his entire poetry career, or even make it so he could never recite another verse of poetry, and he’d still look at you like you planted the stars in the sky.” Chikage responded, with as much confidence as he could muster to hide the fact that he was starting to freak out. No new credit card transactions… and the new trackers he put on both Homare’s phone and laptop were both pinpointing Room 205. It would be strange for Homare to not take at least one of the items with him, but Hisoka would have found him if the other man was hiding in his closet or something._

_“Let’s check your room for any clues. If we can’t find anything, we’ll go out to look for him, okay?” Chikage asked, not liking how it looked like the literal light was gone from Hisoka’s eyes._

_“…What if he’s hurt somewhere, Chikage? What if… what if someone is hurting him right now-?”_

_“-Then he’ll beat the shit out of them, of course. Let’s go, Hisoka.” he said, making sure to hold onto the other man’s hand tightly as he led them towards Room 205. Chikage scowled as he flipped open the light, and looked around the room. It was starting to look like there weren't any clues in the room. Chikage pulled out Homare’s laptop, and started muttering under his breath as he started working on hacking through the high-security encrypted passwords, with a plural. He’s seen Homare log into his laptop before. These were never here before._

_“I did_ not _teach you all this to help you disappear off the face of the Earth.” he muttered bitterly under his breath, getting more irritated with every passing minute that he was working on bypassing the system. Just as he unlocked the laptop, he felt someone approaching._

_Knocks came from the door, even though it was already halfway open. “Hello? Are you back now?” Guy asked, pushing the door fully open. “It’s about time you returned. Tsukioka and Yukishiro were getting worried, Arisugawa- oh…”_

_Guy felt something in his chest burn when he looked at Hisoka, who was kneeling on the floor and shaking. The second Homare’s name was mentioned, Hisoka had jumped to his feet and had his hands gripping onto Guy’s shoulders. “Where is Arisu?” he hissed out, and his voice would have been louder had his voice not been clogged with tears._

_Before Guy could even decide on how to answer, Azuma had walked into the room and gasped audibly. “Oh my… I’m so sorry Hisoka. I thought Homare would have been more clear that he would be returning- no, that’s just an excuse on my part. I should have stopped him. I’ll call him to come back immediately.”_

_Homare returned home in fifteen minutes after Azuma had called, and ran into his room while panting. “H-Hisoka-kun, are you alright-?” Homare got cut off when he caught Hisoka in his arms, and the momentum sent them both toppling backwards. Luckily, the giant bag of marshmallows that Homare had been carrying shielded them from the hard floor._

_Homare let his fiancé sob into the juncture between his neck and shoulder, “Darling? It’s okay now, please don’t cry… Ah, oh no. Your precious marshmallows are being squished, let’s get up.”_

_“Don’t move!” Hisoka yelled, gripping onto Homare more tightly. “I don’t care about the marshmallows!”_

_Homare gasped audibly, “A-Are you feeling alright, Hisoka-kun? You_ don’t _care about your marshmallows? Am I hearing you correctly?”_

_Hisoka grit his teeth in irritation, “Honestly Arisu, I couldn't give any less of a fuck right now about them since I… I-I thought…” Hisoka’s voice nearly crumbled, “…I thought you wanted nothing to do with me anymore.”_

_Homare gasped again, “P-Pardon?! Why would I ever want nothing to do with you anymore? I love you more than anything – even my own life! I… I just wanted to show you how it feels like to lose something important to you. I figured your marshmallows would be of equal value to you that my poems are to me, so that’s why I took them from you. I apologize. I won’t ever do it again.”_

_“…You’re apologizing for taking my marshmallows?”_

_“Yes. It was an oversight from my end on how much it would affect you, so from the bottom of my heart, I am truly-”_

_“I didn’t even notice that they were gone.”_

_“…Huh?”_

_“…I had other things on my mind. Like how my fiancé had gone m-missing, and I had no way of knowing if I would ever find him again. Or if he was even still alive.” Hisoka forced out between choking on his tears, his eyes closing against his will from how much he was crying. “I didn’t know… I didn’t know if I would ever get to s-see you again.”_

_Homare’s heart completely broke at how badly this had affected Hisoka. This was all his fault. He wrapped his arms tightly around Hisoka.“…I’m so sorry, Hisoka-kun. I was just trying to make it seem like there would be no way for you to get your marshmallows back, so that the loss would feel more permanent. I needed to disappear along with them to-_ … _”_

 _Homare suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe as his mind started connecting the dots. To make it look like the marshmallows have disappeared permanently, Homare himself, who had possession of the marshmallows, would have to disappear with them. And then it hit him. He made it look like_ he _would disappear permanently. That’s why Hisoka was so upset. It was never about the marshmallows to start with._

_“…Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no. I’m so, so sorry Hisoka-kun. I messed up again. I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you like this.”_

_Hisoka shuddered as another round of sobs wracked his body, and he held onto Homare tighter. “…If you swear on your life that you will_ never _do anything even remotely like this again, I will forgive you.” Hisoka said, before he stopped talking to catch his breath. “…Don’t ever leave me again, Arisu. I can’t live without you anymore.”_

_Homare softly cradled Hisoka’s face, and looked into his eyes, “I swear on my life, my poetry, and my love for you that I’ll stay within your sight forever. I’m sorry Hisoka-kun, I won’t ever do anything like this again. I can’t live without you either… I love you more than I love my own life, after all.” Homare promised, leaning forward to kiss Hisoka._

_Hisoka only let Homare pull back from the kiss after a couple of minutes had passed, when Homare was starting to genuinely struggle for air. Partly because he truly missed his fiancé, and partly because he was still angry. “I love you too… and I do forgive you, but I’m also not letting you off the hook so easily. I’m not going to leave your side for an entire month, so prepare yourself, stupid Arisu.”_

Hisoka frowned from where he was sitting, “…Don’t pretend you weren’t riled up during that either. Also, you’re literally comparing Arisu spiking Itaru’s drink with too many spices with me going through one of the most traumatic moments of my life. Are you completely heartless? Not to mention, it was your fault both those times for teaching Arisu too many unnecessary things.”

“I might be heartless, but not as much as you, after you realized that Homare-san is much better at 24/7 proximity than you. You stayed by his side for two whole weeks non-stop, before you holed yourself in my room because you were literally seeing him everywhere and hearing his voice in your head.” Chikage retorted, although he did look a little chastised.

Homare smiled guiltily, and walked over to where Hisoka was sitting so that he could press a kiss to the top of his head. “My most sincerest apologies again, Hisoka-kun. The rest of Winter Troupe were feeling guilty too for letting me go ahead with it. They let me leave after hearing that I left you a note, but when they read the note afterwards, they fell to their knees in shame about ‘forgetting how dramatic I am’. They were surprised that it wasn't a poem, though. I was tempted to leave you one, but then I recalled you saying how you preferred clear communication over poetry. …It still ended up being unclear in the end, though.”

“...You wrote that I would know how it feels to lose important things.”

“Indeed. Fufu… when you read the words, ‘important things’, marshmallows were the first thing that sprung to life in your mind, correct?”

“...Yeah.” he answered, looking away from Homare. He gave Chikage the middle finger when he heard the other man chuckle in between fake coughs.

“...Oh, just one moment. It's coming back to me now. I seem to recall you saying that you didn't notice that they were missing..?”

“...Did I say something like that?”

Homare couldn't help but laugh at the other man’s aloof response. “Either way, you figured out the other implications of my words before I myself even realized. Let it never be said that my fiancé isn't sharp. … Though I must say, it was really nice having you stand close to me for two weeks.”

“…I enjoyed it too… at first. But then it just got overwhelming.”

Homare stroked his fingers through Hisoka’s hair, “And that’s completely fine, Hisoka-kun. Even though I most likely could have lasted the entire month, it _was_ admittedly having a miniscule negative effect on my psyche towards the end. After all… absence makes the heart grow fonder. Maybe we should try it again one day though, to see if we could actually get to a month.”

“…You can do that by yourself, Arisu.”

“Ehh…?! How am I supposed to do it without you?!”

Hisoka stood up from his chair, and walked over to stand in front of Homare before his head landed against Homare’s shoulder. “…So noisy.” he replied, his smile hidden from Homare’s view, before he promptly fell asleep in a few seconds while standing.

Homare sighed, but he was smiling nevertheless as he hugged Hisoka closer to his chest, “Good night, Hisoka-kun. As always, please allow me to whisper poetry to you in your sleep.”

Chikage perked up at that, “He lets you do that?”

“Well, it's more like Hisoka-kun isn't really in a position to stop me in his sleep.”

Chikage laughed into his closed fist, “Trust me, he's much more self aware when he's asleep than one would think.”

Homare suddenly beamed, “I just remembered something. One time, Kazunari-kun and I were trying to help Hisoka-kun look like he was awake in his sleep, so that he wouldn't get embarrassed from falling asleep in public.” he explained, before frowning. “Hisoka-kun swatted away my poetry book when I tried to give it to him, though. Isn't that just cruel?”

“First of all, that idiot could fall asleep during his own wedding, knock on wood, and still not be embarrassed. Also, I'm surprised he only swatted it away and didn't take it, only to throw it back at you.”

Homare nodded, “I've seen Hisoka-kun… get violent in his sleep, but he's never directed that towards me-.”

“-Whipped.”

“...But here's the thing… lately, when I've been whispering poems to him in his sleep, sometimes he'll grab onto my arm, smile ever so sweetly, and recite the rest of the verse! I wasn't aware that he remembered my poetry well enough to be able to recall specific ones in his sleep. He's also good at reciting… Chikage-kun?! Are you vomiting?! Itaru-kun, please stop taking pictures and help him! And Hisoka-kun, please stop laughing! I can't tell you if you're awake yet or not!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so in my head, when I was writing the flashbacks, it would be like those sitcom comedy shows where they deadpan say a summary of the entire flashback, and then a flashback happens (with that little record scratch sound that happens right before the flashback starts). So clearly, both of the flashbacks were supposed to be funny, and they were supposed to be centered on Homare's weakness, as well as the stuff Chikage taught him. Of course, his weakness is canon, and it's mentioned in a lot of other fanfics, but I wanted..... MORE. I wanted to SEE Homare suffer from his weakness in DETAIL. Also ya, I shamelessly stole the spicy idea from the This Is The Inner Palace story to shove my Chikaita agenda, who's going to stop me????? 
> 
> So ya, I don't know where the angst came from (and it's actually some REALLY heavy angst, in my opinion, which is funny to me considering I laughed at the idea so much before writing it out.... and then I wanted the scenario to be REALISTIC, and then I REALISTICALLY realized Hisoka would not be happy with Homare's bs at all). (I write down ideas in my phone's notes app, and it sounded funny on paper ok). 
> 
> Thanks for reading!! As always, kudos, comments, bookmarks, mentions on social media, etc. are always appreciated and feed me <3


	10. As The Clock Strikes Midnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: "i'm not going to update again until i finish the entire story"  
> me: *manages to both burn myself out and not finish the entire story in one day*  
> me: *shocked pikachu face* 
> 
> Hi, let me just grab my clown makeup and fit real quick. I'm convinced I'm a fast writer, so I really tried to do that whole writing 20k+ words in one day thing (it didn't work), and now I'm dead :) I'll be upset if my day goes to waste with nothing to show for it, so I'm going to upload this so I can pretend I was productive ;DD I did actually write quite a bit though (not 20k lot, but a lot). And this chapter IS 5k+ words. I don't even know if that's impressive or not anymore, like what e v e n is the length standard for this story's chapters??? I don't know??? 3k? 5k? likee??? consistency?? i dont know her. 
> 
> ALSO there is POTENTIALLY a Hisohoma week in the works!! :O It's probably gonna be in January/February 2021 (and I don't even know if my flaky ass will even like hshm then buttt I'm getting litt anyway for now). Anyway, enjoy the chapter hehe ;DD

"Ah. This should be everyone." Homare smiled, checking off the last name on his list. "Welcome, welcome. Please help yourself to the tea and finger food. There are multiple blends of different black, green, and white tea, so please choose whichever one tickles your fancy. I also wrote poems that pairs delightfully with each blend."

Around him, all of Mankai were seated on a long table, which was covered with a pale blue tablecloth. On the table was clear teapots with an array of different tea leaves, and tiered plating for the finger food. The weather was crisp, but not overbearingly cold in the courtyard.

"Arisugawa."

Homare looked up from his list, "Yes, Sakyo-san?"

Sakyo was holding a cup of green tea with a troubled expression on his face. "You said in the _second_ save-the-date you sent out that this is the bachelor party, right?"

Homare nodded, "Quite so. It's rather magnificent, if I do say so myself. There's nothing quite like enjoying tea in this colder weather. Ah… I have just the poem for this occasion. Feast your ears. Ahem… warmth spreads from the swooshing tea to your fingers! Manifique, the chill of the wind is locked in eternal battle with the warmth of the etheral blend of tea leaves. Under the absent snow, we drink our sorrows away!"

"Being around you makes me want to drink something other than tea." Sakyo grit out. He downed the rest of his tea in one go. "I was going to ask, if your bachelor party is already so extravagant, how much are you planning to spend on your wedding?"

Homare shook his head, "It's actually a lot cheaper than I had originally anticipated. Either way, my mother has offered to foot the entire bill."

"...Rich bastard."

Homare laughed, "Well, you wouldn't be wrong. That's an interesting choice of words, though. It invokes feelings of-"

"-Arisu." Hisoka sleepily called out. He was leaning against a tree, and appeared to have just woken up. He rubbed at his eye. "Weren't you going to ask everyone something? It's cold. I don't want to stay out here much longer."

Chikage rolled his eyes, "I wonder whose idea it was to have this bachelor party."

"No prizes for the correct answer~" Itaru added playfully, his eyes glued to his phone and his fingers tapping away at a rhythm game.

Homare nodded, "That's correct. Thank you for the reminder, darling. I'll try to make it quick, so please hold out a little longer."

"Give me a bag of marshmallows when we get back to our room."

"As you wish."

Guy watched the two interacting with a blank expression. "I've been thinking about this for a long time, but… is that how couples in Japan normally interact?"

Tsumugi laughed nervously. "Well...maybe not all of them. It's very _characteristic_ of Homare-san and Hisoka-san to act that way, though."

"I see." Guy replied seriously. "I need to study harder so that I can understand."

"No." Tasuku cut in, "Their relationship isn't the sort of thing even normal people can understand."

Azuma laughed delicately next to him. “I actually find their relationship quite straightforward. Perhaps it’s because I know the both of them so well.”

Tasuku made a face, “I know them well too! You… you just have the extra advantage of having slept with them before.” he retorted. A blush warmed his cheeks when Azuma laughed at him. “You… you were trying to make me say that at their bachelor party on purpose, right?”

Before Azuma could respond, the sound of a glass clinking was heard. Everyone turned their head towards the head of the table, where both Homare and Hisoka were seated. Hisoka looked like he was barely awake, and was leaning his head against Homare’s shoulder. Homare smiled, and placed the glass down. “Again, we want to thank you all for coming to this special occasion to celebrate with us. Hisoka-kun is rather tired, so we’ll be moving onto the last reason I had you all gather here.” he said, pausing to create suspense, before he grinned and brought out a piece of paper. “Behold! I have a quiz for you all! I understand that there might be some confusion… regarding certain things, and I wish to amend that. Feel free to simply shout out your answers. Alright, first question… who is my partner?”

That had some laughs going around the table. Muku raised his hand, and answered with a bright smile, “That would be Hisoka-san!”

Homare nodded, “Very good, Muku-kun! Next question… when did Hisoka-kun and I start dating?”

There were fewer laughs around the table this time, but no one appeared to be anything less than confident. It was Tenma who answered first this time, “Of course… it would be shortly some time after your first play, Sympathy for the Angel. I saw you two sleeping against each other in the courtyard.” he explained, confidence oozing from his voice.

Yuki shoved at his shoulder, ignoring his outcry, and shook his head. “No, that’s not right, stupid hack. They’ve always been touchy with each other, so you can’t use that as evidence. What you _can_ use as evidence? That one time Arisu straight up asked Hisoka to kiss him. You don’t do that outside of a committed relationship.”

Omi chuckled softly, “That would have been my guess too, but Homare-san already told me the right answer a while back, so I’ll keep quiet for now.”

Chikage smiled, and crossed his arms over his chest, “What if they actually started dating… the moment that they met? Think about it. Look at how disgustingly they look at each other now, and how much buildup they would have needed to get to this point.”

“Starting discourse IRL, senpai?” Itaru smirked, bumping his shoulder against Chikage's. Itaru suddenly fell silent as he mulled over the thought, and then shrugged. “Actually… you might be onto something.”

“E-Enough! Just let Homare-san tell us the answer.” Azami cut in, his face flushed red with embarrassment, and fists raised defensively.

If Homare was disappointed by their answers, no one could tell at a distance. “Thank you all for your answers. However, it is with my deepest regret that I inform you that we’ve only been dating for about a month now.”

The table fell silent. Suddenly, a few members of Summer Troupe and Autumn Troupe broke out laughing. “T-That’s so hilarious, Arinrin!” Kazunari forced out between his laughter, “I’m _so_ writing what you just said on my Instablam caption!”

“It’s the truth.” Hisoka answered this time, which silenced the laughter immediately. “We started dating when practice was going on for Scarlet Mirror.” he explained, his voice dripping with sleep. He finished his explanation with a yawn, before he settled back onto Homare’s shoulder.

“My gratitude, love.” Homare whispered, before he smiled at the larger group. “I’m afraid it’s no joke. Hisoka-kun and I really only started dating a month ago. Although, I am flattered that you thought we were together for much longer than that. This is why I wanted to have this quiz, to clear up any confusion. Alright, moving onto the last question… what kind of wedding do you think we’ll have? Feel free to tell me your guesses, and I’ll let you know if you’re correct or not.”

Sakyo answered first this time, “A really expensive one.”

Homare paused to mull over his answer before he nodded, “Affirmative, but perhaps not a _really_ expensive one. As I mentioned to you earlier, it’s much cheaper than I had originally anticipated, but I suppose by plebian standards, it would still be considered expensive.”

" _Plebian_ -" Sakyo sputtered.

“Ooh, me next!” Kumon piped up eagerly, holding up his arm. “Will there be a fire-breathing dragon statue, a _chuuni_ cosplay corner, and traditional handwritten scrolls?!”

Homare felt a bead of sweat dribble down his forehead as he smiled. “I’m afraid not, Kumon-kun. I am aware I’ve been spending more time with Itaru-kun, but alas, his _chuuni_ tendencies haven’t rubbed off on me.”

“Soon.” Itaru whispered.

“No.” Homare whispered back.

“…You two will be having a smaller wedding, right?” Tsumugi asked, a soft smile settling on his lips. “Homare-san, I know you were talking about having a large and grand wedding at the beginning, but I always figured you two would prefer a smaller wedding.” he explained, before he blushed and held a hand behind his head. “That was a rather cheeky remark, huh? I could be wrong too, seeing how all of us haven’t been the best at guessing.”

Homare shook his head, “On the contrary, leader, you are correct. As per usual, you’re good at reading people, Tsumugi-kun.” he smiled, watching as Tsumugi grew more bashful at the praise. “I have decided that… I shall not be having a grand and big wedding. I've only been in attendance at larger weddings in the past, so they're all that I know. I believe that's why I wished for a large and grand wedding in the beginning. But it matters not, as it's my wedding, and Hisoka-kun's, and ours alone. We shall be selfishly doing what we want till the very end, so please grant us your patience and support.”

Tsumugi perked up, “Of course! Winter Troupe will have both your backs until the very end.”

Chikage sighed, his eyes falling shut, “It’s not a good look to openly disparage the happy couple, so yes, we will be going along with your whims for now.”

Sakyo stared at him blankly, “Aren’t you one of the best men?”

“I am.” Chikage answered without missing a beat.

“…I almost feel bad for Mikage.” Sakyo mumbled.

“As long as your whims won’t interfere with my gaming, I’ll happily lend you my support and energy, Homare-san, Hisoka-san.” Itaru offered with a princely smile, even though the only reason he had looked up was because he needed a moment to collect himself after blooming a card for his best girl.

“…I definitely feel bad for Arisugawa.” Sakyo added quietly.

Homare grinned brightly. “Thank you all for your outpour of support! We truly appreciate it. With this, the bachelor party has come to an end. The catering staff will clean up after you’re done, so please take your time, and enjoy to your heart’s content. Hisoka-kun is getting grouchy, so I’ll be bringing the sleeping beau back to our room.”

“Zzzz…”

“I suppose he couldn’t wait. No matter.” Homare said, before he turned to maneuver Hisoka into his arms with only a bit of difficulty. He then stood up with Hisoka in his arms, effectively carrying him princess-style.

Muku gasped, and covered his mouth with the both of his hands, “I-It’s the princess carry! Homare-san is truly a great lover.” he said in awe, a blush spreading on his cheeks. “…Ah! That’s right. When he wakes up, could you please let Hisoka-san know that the Anti Arisu club meeting will be cancelled this week?”

Homare nearly choked on air, “M-Muku-kun?! Why would… what on Earth would ever compel you to join that accursed club?!”

Muku held his hands together and had a dreamy expression on his face, “Enemies to lovers. Roomates AU. Slow burn.”

Homare decided that there were just some things he was better off not knowing. “…I see, Muku-kun. I’ll be sure to let him know when he wakes up. …Out of curiosity, who are the other members in the club?”

Muku nodded, and pointed to himself, “I’m one of the only members. I’m the secretary. Chikage-san is the vice-president, and Hisoka-san is the president.”

Homare nodded, “Understood. While this is certainly cruel, yet not unusual behavior from both Hisoka-kun and Chikage-kun, I am somewhat relieved to hear that there’s not too many members.”

“Ah, but different members of Winter Troupe do routinely join in.” Muku added innocently.

Homare could feel his smile twitch as he turned his head to glare at the members of his troupe. “You are all… _heathens_!” he yelled out with teary eyes.

“You’re a handful, okay! Sometimes I need to vent!” Tasuku yelled back, albeit bashfully.

“Fufu… it’s fun talking about you with everyone, Homare.” Azuma smiled, looking not the least bit repentant.

“You don’t make much sense, Arisugawa. It’s a good way to learn more about you.” Guy answered.

“A-As the leader, I need to make sure… no, wait, what am I saying..? I got caught up in the mood. I’m sorry, Homare-san, I’ll resign immediately.” Tsumugi said, immediately ducking his head in an apology.

“…So noisy. This is what we need the club for, Arisu.” Hisoka murmured, eyes blinking open slowly. “…If it makes you feel better, we only complain about you 20% of the time. We just share stories about our experiences with you the rest of the time.”

Chikage coughed, “You’re always asleep for most of the meeting time though, so in reality, aren’t you complaining 90% of the time when you’re awake?”

“No one asked you Chikage, shut up.”

Muku stiffened, “…Ah. I suppose a club where we’re insulting you all the time is no good. I-I’m sorry, Homare-san! I promise that we’ve never said any real bad things about you! I’ve only gone over different fanfiction ideas for you and Hisoka-san! …Still, to be in such a club… I'm just a shrivelled up wild mushroom on a bed of dairyfree cheese-” he said with tears in his eyes, before he jolted. “Oh right, my fanfiction!” he yelled, and then quickly ran off towards his room.

Homare sighed. As offended as he was, it was clear as day that the club’s intentions were not malicious. He could say with certainty that any member of the club would put a stop to any real malicious activity towards him before it even had a chance to begin. “…Well then, sleepy president, will you let me join in on some of your meetings? You have all of my favorite people in this club, after all.”

“Application denied.” Hisoka answered immediately, eyes falling shut as he tried to snuggle closer into Homare’s chest.

Homare sighed again, but it was much more fond this time. “A selfish lover, as per usual. Let’s head back to our room now, it looks like most of our guests have left anyway.” he said. True enough, the catering staff had already begun clean-up, and were already starting to remove the table from the courtyard.

“We…um.” Tasuku began, catching Homare’s attention. “We don’t really insult or complain about you that much during meetings. But we’re fine with disbanding, if you want us to.” he quickly added. He was looking anywhere but at Homare, and had an arm behind his neck as he nervously fidgeted on the spot.

Homare’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, before his eyes fluttered shut as he started laughing. “Pfft…”

Tasuku blushed from embarrassment, and tried to glare at the shorter man, “I just didn’t want you to get the wrong idea! Ah, jeez…” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Guy had a small smile on his face, “Like I mentioned before, Winter Troupe needs its moodmaker. On both a professional and personal level, I do enjoy your presence, Arisugawa.”

Homare was still laughing, “I-It’s fine.” he answered. “The way you all were talking earlier made it sound like a fan club anyway, which would have been a bigger issue.”

Tsumugi’s eyebrow raised, “Eh? Why?”

Homare finally sobered up from his laughing fit, although his smile remained. “Because I already have sixteen official fan clubs across Japan, and if you were hoping to open a new one, you would need to go through a certification process.”

Hisoka frowned, “…Annoying. Let’s just complain about Arisu more so we won’t be mistaken as an Arisu fan club.”

Homare huffed loudly. “You are ever so rude to me, Hisoka-kun! Do you even like me in the slightest?!” he whined.

Hisoka sighed, and made a sound of irritation. “No, not really. Can we go back to our room now?”

Homare pouted for a few seconds, before he suddenly smiled deviously, “I suppose we could.... but since Hisoka-kun dislikes me so much, shall I put you down so you can get there yourself?” he asked playfully.

Hisoka moved his head away from Homare’s chest, and blearily opened his eyes to look up at the other man’s face. He could already tell that Arisu was amused from his tone of voice, but he wanted to make sure he wasn’t actually upsetting his partner. Upon seeing his lover’s stupid, but genuine smile, Hisoka butted his head back into Homare’s chest. “No. Carry me.”

Homare laughed, and Hisoka couldn’t help but smile into his partner’s jacket as Homare’s laughter rumbled through his chest. “Very well, as you wish. But in return, I want us both to stay up tonight so we can celebrate your birthday at midnight.”

Hisoka blanched, and immediately responded, “I’d rather die.”

Homare frowned, “Please, Hisoka-kun? Do it for me?” he pleaded softly.

Hisoka muttered under his breath bitterly for a few seconds before acquiescing. “ _Fine_. I’ll do it for Arisu.”

Itaru suddenly chuckled, “Wow senpai, you weren’t joking when you said he was whip-” Itaru was stopped midsentence when Chikage suddenly clasped a hand over his mouth.

“I’d be careful, Chigasaki. I can defend myself from the midget, but you can’t.”

Homare beamed, “Actually Chikage-kun, I believe you have the highest probability of getting injured by Hisoka-kun out of all of us. I’m speaking from both past experience, as well as the statistical likeliness of it happening again due to your callous, self-serving, and cold personality.”

“Yes, thank you for letting me know, Homare-san.” Chikage deadpanned, before pointing a finger at Hisoka, who had fallen asleep again. “Also, I promise you he won’t be able to stay up until midnight.”

Homare chuckled in response, before hugging Hisoka closer to his chest. “There’s no need to fret, I have prepared plenty of marshmallows to help Hisoka-kun stay awake, after all.”

.

.

.

.

.

Hisoka whined softly as he butted his head into Homare’s chest. The moonlight was streaming in through the window, and the soft lull of it made him want to sleep.

“Just a few more minutes, love.” Homare whispered, pressing a kiss to Hisoka’s forehead. He had both his arms wrapped around Hisoka, with the blanket covering the both of them.

“…It’s just my birthday.”

“It’s not _just_ your birthday to me. It’s my gorgeous, multitalented, kind-hearted, charming, and perfect fiancé’s-”

“Zzzz…”

“Oh no you don’t.” Homare chided quietly, and pushed yet another marshmallow into Hisoka’s mouth. Homare figured that if his affection bar with Hisoka wasn’t so ridiculously high, the other man probably would have shoved him off the bed by now for not letting him sleep. Hisoka was glaring at Homare again as he reluctantly opened his eyes.

“Arisu… I know you don’t get it, but my birthday is not nearly as important to me as sleep is.” he murmured, voice weakened by the need to sleep. “You’re trying to do something nice for me, since to you, birthdays are more important than getting some extra hours of sleep, but I don’t feel the same way.”

Homare frowned slightly at that, “…I know that much, but you haven’t run out of the room yet, so I figured that… perhaps a small, unconscious part of you actually wants to stay up?”

Hisoka sighed, and closed his eyes. “No, it’s not that. Arisu is just unfortunately more important to me than both of those things.”

Homare felt his heartbeat dangerously speed up. He quickly let go of Hisoka, and flipped around to face the door so that Hisoka wouldn’t be able to see his flustered expression and overjoyed smile. “T-That so?” he asked nervously, “I’ll just let you sleep then.” he said, before he noticed how sticky his hands were from the barrage of marshmallows he had shoved into Hisoka’s mouth. “…I’ll be right back, I need to wash my hands.” he murmured, sitting up. Before Homare even registered it, Hisoka had grabbed Homare’s hand and was staring at it intently. “D-Darling? What’s wrong- ah!”

Hisoka slipped the fingers into his mouth, running his tongue over the digits, and removing any remaining traces of sweetness. Homare could feel his face heating up at a worrying pace, “H-Hisoka-kun…” he called out weakly. When Hisoka suddenly opened his eyes to look directly into Homare’s, he could feel his breath catching. “…I-I want-”

Homare jolted when a loud bang came from his closet. He turned his head just in time to see Tasuku fall out, followed by Azuma, who elegantly stepped out. “H-Huh?!” Homare screamed, inadvertently yanking his fingers out of Hisoka’s mouth. His eyes widened as he watched Tsumugi and Guy step out after them. “W-What were you all doing in there…?” Homare asked, pushing the blanket fully off himself.

Guy was the one who spoke up first, “You mentioned earlier that you would keep Mikage awake until midnight for his birthday. So, we figured that as Winter Troupe, we would join you in celebrating.”

Azuma laughed, “I tried to tell them that you two might be otherwise… _busy_ , but they were persistent.”

Tsumugi smiled, ducking his head to hide how flustered his face was, “S-Sorry, it looks like we ended up causing you trouble instead.” he said quietly, moving to help Tasuku to his feet.

Tasuku grimaced, “That closet wasn’t made for someone of my height.”

Homare suddenly broke out laughing, “I-Is that so? You all have my gratitude. Look, Hisoka-kun, the rest of the troupe is here to celebrate you.”

“...Noisy.” Hisoka muttered from where he had smooshed his face into the pillow, and had hands covering his ears.

“Please?” Homare tried again, a hand reaching forward to card through Hisoka’s hair. Homare flinched when he realized too late that his fingers were still coated in Hisoka's saliva.

“…Fine.” Hisoka relented after a few seconds of silence. “…You have to carry me down.”

“Understood.” Homare answered immediately, discreetly wiping off the rest of the saliva onto the bed sheets.

Homare placed Hisoka over his shoulder, and carefully scaled down the ladder to join the rest of Winter Troupe. By the time he got down, they had already set up a number of lantern lights, and a cake in the middle with lit candles. Homare put Hisoka down into a sitting position, and then sat down beside him. “What a mesmerizing set-up. You’ve all outdone yourselves.” he said. A smile of recognition appeared on his face when he picked up one of the cookies that were placed around the floor. “Was this your touch, Azuma-san? They’re perfect.”

Azuma laughed into his hand, “Fufu… you’re welcome. An old acquaintance of mine gave them to me the other day, and I figured they’d be perfect to celebrate Hisoka’s birthday with.”

Homare nodded, “They really are. You have my gratitude.”

Tsumugi carefully pulled out a set of paper plates and plastic cutlery. He peered at the clock, and smiled gently. “Just one more minute to go. Hisoka-san, you should think of a wish.”

Homare brightened up, “My, I just realized. Both these cookies and the candles on Hisoka-kun’s birthday cake have wish granting prowess! That means Hisoka-kun’s wish is _doubly_ likely to come true! Ah… decantage, inspiration is welling up inside of me! Wish granting cookie, wish granting candles, wish granted for Hisoka-kun! Upon the briar rose, please grant-”

“-Ah, it’s midnight.” Tsumugi said at the same time that Hisoka covered Homare’s mouth, and grit out, “-You’re too noisy, be quiet Arisu.”

Everyone jumped when the curtains suddenly closed and the candles went out from a strong gust of wind, as did the lanterns, which enveloped the room in darkness. The ferocity of the wind caused everyone to shut their eyes. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the wind left, and slammed the door shut in its final moments. “...I’ll get the lights.” Azuma called out shakily, rising to his feet, and walking over to the light switch.

Light immediately flooded the room. Tasuku lowered his arm from his eyes, before his mouth fell ajar. “What the hell was that?! …Hey, the cookies disappeared!” Tasuku yelled out in surprise, falling back on his elbows. His eyes widened as he looked around the room for them, but they were gone without a trace.

“W-What? I-Is this another one of Mankai’s mysteries?” Tsumugi fretted, jumping to his feet as he looked down at where the lanterns, plates, utensils, and cake were. They looked exactly as they did just minutes ago, minus the candles and lanterns being unlit.

Azuma frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, “Oya, oya. These sort of things only ever happen to Winter Troupe.”

Guy’s face was blank, and if he was confused, he didn’t show it. “It appears that nothing has changed though.”

“…Why is Arisu being so quiet?” Hisoka suddenly asked, turning his head to look at Homare, who was casually standing next to him. Homare looked back at him with a bright grin, and shrugged. Hisoka’s eyes narrowed, “…Arisu?”

The others immediately caught on to what had happened. A nervous air permeated the room as the other members of Winter Troupe looked anywhere other than at Hisoka and Homare.

Hisoka was starting to grow frustrated, “…If you have something to say, just say it.”

“…He can’t, Mikage.” Guy answered after an awkward beat of silence.

Homare was still smiling nervously at Hisoka, with his hands behind his back. Hisoka’s eyes slowly widened as the realization dawned on him. “You can’t? Why-?” he cut himself off when he suddenly remembered what he had said, just as the clock had struck midnight.

Everyone jolted when Hisoka suddenly ran to yank open the door, and left the room without saying anything else. “H-Hisoka-san…” Tsumugi murmured weakly, a hand half-heartedly raised towards the door that Hisoka had left through.

“…Mikage must be feeling guilty.” Guy said, a troubled expression on his face.

Azuma nodded his head with a frown, “He knows better than anyone how much Homare loves reciting poetry. The guilt must be eating him alive right now.”

Homare was growing increasingly more depressed with every word. He suddenly shook his head, and gently slapped his own face a few times, before he quickly ran to his desk and grabbed a spare piece of paper that was lying on his desk, as well as a pen. He wrote down his message before he turned it around to show the rest of Winter Troupe. ‘We can’t let Hisoka-kun be upset on his birthday! First step is to find him!’

Tasuku nodded, “That’s right. Plus, we’ve beaten Mankai’s mysteries every single time, so we won’t lose this time either. We’ll definitely get your voice back, Arisugawa. We need to find Mikage first though.”

Tsumugi nodded beside him, “That’s exactly right. It won’t help anyone for us to stay here and sulk. Let’s split up and look for Hisoka-san. I’ll check the common room and kitchen. Tasuku, could you look in the theatre? Azuma-san, the rest of our rooms, if you don’t mind. Guy-san, the courtyard, please. And Homare-san-” Tsumugi stopped in his tracks when Homare suddenly ran out of the room.

Azuma looked contemplative, “…I wonder if Homare needs some space too? In addition to being worried over Hisoka, he did lose his voice. It must be incredibly unsettling.”

Everyone jolted when the door opened again to reveal Homare, who quickly grabbed the entire cake, before running out of the room again.

“…He doesn’t seem to be too upset though.” Guy murmured.

Tasuku nodded, “I guess being so carefree is useful in situations like this?”

.

.

.

.

.

.

Homare quickly rushed to Chikage’s room, and since he was using both of his hands to carry the cake, and he couldn’t use his voice, he settled for kicking at the door rhythmically until Chikage dignified him with a response. “It's midnight. Who is it?”

If Homare could audibly sigh, he would. He knew that Chikage was being difficult on purpose, since the other man was extremely good at reading others’ presences, even through hard surfaces. And so, he only felt slightly bad as he aimed an extra hard kick at Chikage’s door.

“Coming.”

The sound of footsteps were heard, so Homare took a few steps back just as the door swung open. Chikage took one look at the cake, and moved to close the door. “No thanks.”

Homare slipped a foot inside the room before Chikage could close the door, and using that as leverage, he managed to get into the room without too much fuss. Chikage sighed, “I’m not going to eat that, so don’t get your hopes up. Chigasaki got an emergency call from his boss about an hour ago, so he's not here to eat it either.”

Homare was silent as he set the cake down on a table. Chikage crossed his arms across his chest as he looked at the cake from afar. "Is that for Hisoka's birthday?"

Homare turned around, and nodded with a bright grin.

Chikage’s eyebrow raised after a few beats of silence, “…Why are you staring at me?”

Homare quickly opened up the memo app on his phone, and typed in a message. ‘Have you seen Hisoka-kun?’

Chikage chuckled, “Are you fulfilling Hisoka’s birthday wish of being quiet, or something?”

Homare’s eyes widened, before he nodded enthusiastically.

“That’s rather harsh. You have my sympathy, Homare-san. With all due respect though, I can’t actually see you doing that for an entire day without… I don’t know, direct intervention from some higher power, or something.”

Homare nodded again, and wrote down a message on his phone. ‘You’re so smart, Chikage-kun!’

Chikage stilled, before a perplexed expression appeared on his face. “…You’re kidding me.”

Homare typed another message. ‘I’m not! Hisoka-kun, the love of my love, got upset and ran off when he realized his wish for me to be quiet had come true, and I need your expertise in finding him. I won’t stand for his birthday being ruined because of something so trivial.’

Chikage nodded slowly, “…I suppose anything is possible in this world. Geez, I told that Sleepyhead to not run off by himself anymore. Alright, I’ll help you. Let me look up his location.” he said, before he walked over to his desk and booted up his laptop. He typed in a number of passwords before a map with coordinates popped up.

Chikage’s eyes widened, his eyes reflecting the light from his screen. “Why is he…? That idiot.” Chikage murmured, before looking back at Homare. “Leave the cake there. I'll make sure he comes back to finish it.”

Homare already had a message typed and ready to go. Instead of using the Memo app this time, he used Noogle Translate so his messages could be heard out loud. "I'm coming with you."

"...I guess I can't stop you."

Homare beamed. "You have my gratitude, Chikage-kun. You truly are my best friend."

"...I'm just going to assume that was a typo."

"You are my best friend."

"...I'm a pretty horrible best friend to have."

"Not to me."

Chikage turned away from Homare, and sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "This talk is already awkward as is, but the fact I have to wait thirty seconds for each reply is making it worse."

Homare frowned, "...Are you saying you do not wish to be best friends with me? That is acceptable too."

"...I didn't say that."

Chikage saw the small cheer Homare did with his arms from the corner of his eye, and ducked his head so that his own smile would remain hidden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I could have NOT foreshadowed more that Homare was going to lose his voice. Like no, seriously, go back into the past chapters, (and if you're of legal drinking age), take a shot every time that: 1) Hisoka talks about not wanting Homare to lose his voice / doesn't mind how loud Homare is / how he really likes Homare's voice 2) Chikage making references to how Homare would still love Hisoka even if he caused him to lose his voice 3) Homare asking Hisoka if he'd prefer him to be more quiet / lose his voice. 
> 
> Also, cheers for BFF Chikage & Homare! I really didn't anticipate them growing so close when I first started writing, but I really like how their relationship has developed! I hope I'm doing that Homare & Chikage tag hard justice. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'll see you next time (when I'm less clown music & less burnt out) ;D


	11. Woe Is You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! 
> 
> So, to make it fun, I told myself I'd put up Chapter 11 whenever Jas (@caviluxx) updated their Hisohoma thief AU next, and they updated approximately thirteen hours ago on Twitter, so here I am. Also no, they don't know I'm doing this. 
> 
> I just rlly love letting random people on A3!Twitter choosing the fate of this story??? I don't know why I'm like this. I also decided I don't want to join the A3! fandom on Twitter, but I'll still do my daily lurking ;) I like staying on the low key <3 
> 
> Anyway CHECK OUT THEIR THIEF AU!!! It's super pretty. And I want to see them kisth (how does Twitter do that thing again?? I don't think my spelling is right) so please give them support!!

Chikage was wearing his normal clothes, as he had just returned from a job, but he could tell that the other man was cold in his thin sleeping clothes. He slowly came to a stop, and turned to face Homare, “Go change into some proper clothing. It’s cold out. We’re right by your room, so it won’t take that long.”

Homare hesitated, and looked like he wanted to protest before a cold drift suddenly blew through his hair. He shivered, and hugged his arms to his chest. He levelled the other man with an unimpressed look when Chikage covered his chuckles with a few well-acted coughs.

Homare pushed open the door to his room, and tried to ignore how empty and lifeless the room now seemed without one of its occupants. Homare then shook his head, and slapped his own face a few times.

His fiancé was only gone for the moment, and he _would_ find, and bring him back. Even if he had to fight the smaller man the entire time in doing so.

When he came back out, he was dressed in his trench coat, and he had two extra cardigans in his hands. He quickly walked over to where Chikage was standing and thrusted one of the cardigans towards the other man’s arms. Chikage raised an eyebrow, “I’m not that cold, but thank you-” he said, before moving his head out of the way as Homare tried to push it into his face. “Hey, stop- what’s with you and trying to force me to-” he grit out, before he sighed loudly, and took the cardigan from Homare’s hands. He put it on effortlessly, and while it was a little short on him, it fit him well enough since it appeared to be loose fit.

“Alright, let’s go.” Chikage murmured exasperatedly, ignoring Homare’s bright smile, and led the two of them to where he had parked his car. He started the engine, and expertly maneuvered the car onto the street. They drove in silence until Chikage suddenly made a turn onto a deserted dirt road.

“Do you have any idea on what granted Hisoka’s wish in the first place?” Chikage asked, his eyes honed in on the long road ahead of them.

“…”

“…Ah. My apologies.” Chikage sighed quietly. The silence between the two of them made him feel a little, tiny bit, anxious. It wasn’t like they couldn’t have companionable silence. In fact, while rare, they have had it a few times before, but this was something else entirely. Chikage could feel Homare’s worry and anxiety bouncing off of him, and in turn, it was spiking up his own worry and anxiety.

“We’ll find Hisoka, I promise. He hasn’t moved from where he was when I first looked, so he’s probably just… relaxing there, or something.” Chikage reassured, his tone sounding much more solid than he felt.

Homare pulled out his phone, and typed something into Noogle Translate, and let the automated voice play out his message. “You’re rather talkative right now. Are you doing it to fill the void of silence? Or are you missing my poetry, Chikage-kun?”

Chikage gripped the steering wheel tighter, “No… it’s not that. I… just don’t know how to handle you when you’re quiet. It may sound cryptic of me to say, but I’m confident in my ability to more or less, get what I want, almost all of the time. People are incredibly unpredictable, but I can make them predictable by controlling what they know, knowing how they work, and what gets to them. You can trust me though when I say that the only thing I’d ever want from any of Mankai’s members is for them to be safe. So that’s it, I suppose? I’m trying to re-learn how to get what I want from you since that’s the only way I can trust myself to keep you safe.” he explained, before further adding, “You’re an impulsive speaker, and I can trust you to be honest with your words. I can use that to my advantage.”

Homare mulled over his answer for a few seconds before he started typing. “I suppose that is a rather practical way of thinking. I see the merit in it. Our thinking isn’t that different. You hide behind a pretty face full of lies, but your mind is very logical. I can only understand reality in the form of extreme aesthetics, or extreme rationale. We both have the potential to hurt people with our words, but we’re both doing our best.”

“…Doing our best, huh.” Chikage sighed again. It certainly sounded like a noble cause, even when it was said in a monotonous automated voice, but Chikage just couldn’t resonate with it. Someone like Chikage, who was always encased in danger and darkness, would never be on the same wavelength as someone as kind, if not sometimes accidentally sharp-tongued, as Homare. “…In all honesty, Homare-san, your intentions are much more pure than mine ever will be.”

Homare frowned, and quickly typed in another message. “I don’t believe that. No one else believes in that either. I think it’s time you start believing in yourself, Chikage-kun. Everyone acknowledges your kindness, and you’re just turning a blind eye to it. You’re being a coward.”

Chikage raised an eyebrow as he mulled over Homare’s words. “A coward, huh? Thanks, Homare-san.” he responded sarcastically.

Homare typed a fast response, “I meant every word. You are a coward.”

“I get it, I really do. But I’m also not the one who ran away from their partner instead of calmly working things through with them.”

“Hisoka-kun is also a coward.”

Chikage’s smile turned strained, “Yes he is, but don’t tell that to his face, alright? The little shit is probably sulking and moping his ass off right now.”

Homare shook his head, and typed in a response. It was another longer one, so it took nearly a minute to type out entirely. “I never said being a coward wasn’t _understandable_ , it’s just inefficient. If Hisoka-kun didn’t run away, we would have had a better chance of resolving things calmly, and then I wouldn’t be sick with worry over Hisoka-kun running away, and if you weren’t such a coward, I could be, for example, helping you plan your wedding with Itaru-kun right now.”

Chikage sighed, and ran his free hand through his hair, “Yes, but humans don’t _work_ like that. They can’t always be efficient, they _feel_ things, like panic and distress- wait, what was the last thing you typed?”

Homare held down his last message in Noogle Translate’s history, and pasted it back into the text box. “I never said being a coward wasn’t understandable, it’s just inefficient. If Hisoka-kun didn’t run away, we would have a...”

Chikage narrowed his eyes as the rest of the message voiced out, “Did you just copy and paste the entirety of your last message?”

Homare typed, “It’s more efficient.”

Chikage shook his head, “Either way, I’m not planning on getting married to Chigasaki anytime soon anyway.” he responded, trying to keep his voice neutral. His eyes fell for a second. “...Or at all, for that matter.”

Homare raised an eyebrow, and typed in, “Why?”

Chikage’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “No particular reason.”

“If Hisoka-kun could do it, so can you.”

Chikage tried his best to get a handle on his own emotions. He was never this emotional before, but perhaps joining Mankai had changed him more than he could ever admit. “Just drop it, Homare-san.” he said quietly.

Homare shook his head, and hastily typed in, “I refuse to. After all, you’re the only one standing in the way of your own happiness. If you want something, you have to put in the _effort_ to get it. Love may be bittersweet, but that’s what makes it so painstakingly beautiful. Or... could it be that you don’t love Itaru-kun enough to fight for him?”

That was the last straw. There was already too much anxiety in the air to start with, and the provocations broke down the dam of emotions Chikage was trying to keep under wraps. “It’s _because_ I love him that I’m holding back!” Chikage yelled before he could stop himself.

Homare’s mouth fell open, and he accidentally dropped his phone onto his lap from the unexpected outburst. It was silent for a few tense moments, with only Chikage’s slightly haggard breathing in the background, and the sound of the tires rolling over gravel. After a few more seconds, Chikage took a deep breath, and exhaled carefully. “…I can’t afford to make passionate vows and promises like you and Hisoka. ...I wish I could.” he repeated in a quieter and tight voice, “But I _can’t._ ”

Homare gulped as quietly as he could, and looked away from Chikage to face his own window instead. It was pitch dark outside, and his own reflection was easily seen on the window. He looked terribly guilty. He felt it too. He had done it again, hadn’t he? He had failed to understand Chikage’s feelings. Before he could even start thinking about how to apologize, Chikage began speaking again.

“…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you like that.” he sighed softly, and hesitated for a few seconds as he mulled over his thoughts. “I’ll tell you the truth... but you can’t tell anyone else, alright? Not even to Hisoka.”

Homare quickly nodded, and held his hand over his heart.

Chikage nodded, and took another deep breath before speaking. “I’ll start by saying that I’m truly happy for Hisoka. That he has you, and he has all that he wants, with nothing holding him back. I really, _truly_ am happy for him.” Chikage spoke quietly, almost in a hushed tone. It was as if he knew he was breaching a forbidden topic, and he was speaking so quietly because he was desperate to get his thoughts out before his rationale stopped him from continuing. “I never wanted anything more than for August and December to be happy. There’s still nothing I want more than that. …But when have I gotten so selfish? When did I start looking at you and Hisoka, and wanting what you two shared for myself?” he said cautiously. His words sounded forced, as if it was hurting him to be so honest. He took another deep breath. “I couldn’t tell you last time. And maybe it’s because you can’t talk right now that I’m sharing so much, but you and Hisoka… when I see you two, it gives me _hope_. A part of me _loathes_ that. Because if it’s hope, it’s false hope. No one knows that better than me.” he added resignedly.

Homare frowned, his eyes narrowing in sympathy. He knew he couldn’t understand, even if he tried his best to, but…

Homare reached forward and placed a gentle hand on Chikage’s shoulder, and squeezed it reassuringly. He made eye contact with Chikage through the rear mirror, and mouthed the words, ‘I’m here for you’.

Chikage’s lips parted wordlessly as he read the other man’s lips, before they pressed into a thin line. “…If Chigasaki didn’t do it, I know I wouldn’t have asked him out myself. In fact, if you and Hisoka weren’t there at the time, I’m not even sure I would have told him yes. It’s always like that. Being around you two… I get caught up in the mood.” he explained, before carelessly running his fingers through his hair with his free hand. “You two look so much like a normal couple. You two _are_ a normal couple. So much that… I forget that me and Chigasaki aren’t a normal couple. That _I’m_ not normal. It takes me a moment at times to dissociate Hisoka Mikage from December still – and to remember he’s not a part of… my world anymore. Not completely, anyway.”

Homare felt awful. He wanted to comfort Chikage, but he didn’t know how to. Even if he had his voice, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to say the right words. That was a hard admission for a poet of his calibre to admit.

“…Thanks for listening to me, even if you don’t really have a choice on the matter.” Chikage finally said after a few beats of silence. “Saying it all out loud does make me feel better. For the longest time, I felt like I couldn’t. Since that would be admitting that I was jealous. I was... scared of acknowledging that I could be envious of Hisoka’s happiness, especially when I promised him I’d take care of things so that he’d be able to live freely as Hisoka Mikage. It sort of felt like I was throwing my own words in my face; being envious of something I promised him. I didn’t tell the either of you how I felt since I knew you and Hisoka would have just told me I was being stupid for feeling like this. Hisoka probably would have said something like, ‘April should just live how he wants to’, and you’d probably tell me a poem or whatever, but… it’s hard. I’m admittedly… conflicted on what I should, or shouldn’t do.”

Homare exhaled carefully, and squeezed Chikage’s shoulder one last time before moving his hand away to type out a response. “I’m still bad at dealing with other people’s feelings, so I do sincerely apologize for my words as well. What I meant to say was that I just want you to be happy, Chikage-kun. It might be naïve of me to say, but my wish for you is that you’d be able to chase after your own happiness, selfishly and truly, till the very end. Hisoka and I, as well as everyone else at Mankai, loves you unconditionally, and simply wishes for you to be happy. Just as you wish for Hisoka’s happiness, we all wish the same for you. We’ll be with you every step of the way.”

Chikage’s eyes widened, and if he could feel the sting of tears threatening to fall, that was his business, and his business alone.

Homare watched him closely. Where had he seen this teary and reluctant expression before? His eyes widened when it suddenly hit him.

“…I see. So that’s it.” Chikage finally murmured to himself, stopping the car, and parking near a cluster of trees. He was quiet for a few seconds before he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

Homare smiled warmly, and put his phone in front of his neck, which had a memo written out. ‘I take it back. I do not care if my words are naïve. I stand by what I said; you should not feel guilty about chasing after your own happiness. You have every right to be happy, just as Hisoka-kun does. Itaru-kun isn’t as weak as you think he is. I’m telling you all this because Hisoka-kun has felt the exact same way you do right now. You two have a bad habit of thinking we do not know what we’re getting into, when we were the ones by your side all this time.’

Chikage barely registered the tear that slipped from his eye. By his side? All this time?

_“Chigasaki. Can you turn a blind eye for a second?”_

_“Since when were you this kind of character?”_

_“Where are you headed with your suitcase at this late hour, senpai?”_

Chikage’s lips pressed into a thin line as memories flashed through his head. “…Well, well. Aren’t you being arrogant, Homare-san? You two have only known us since we came to Mankai, after all. We _did_ have lives before that too.”

Homare rolled his eyes, and already had a second memo ready for Chikage since he knew the other man would make a fuss about that specific point. ‘You know what I meant. We can’t do much more than to accept December and April, but we _do_. We do accept them wholeheartedly, but you won’t even acknowledge that much.’

Chikage’s eyes widened for a split second in surprise, before he frowned, and turned away from Homare. Effortlessly, he rubbed at his eyes as if it were accidental instead of an attempt to wipe away his tears. “...How can I believe that Chigsaki accepts me when he doesn’t even know who I truly am?”

Homare smiled as he typed away at his keyboard. At least Chikage’s breathing seemed to be back to normal. He held the phone for the other man to see. ‘Itaru-kun is smart. Not only that, he’s self-serving too. Yet he averts his eyes for you, both physically and mentally. I know what it means to carry Hisoka’s crimes with him, and I know that it isn’t easy. I don’t think Itaru-kun would stay by your side if he didn’t accept you.’

Chikage had an unreadable look in his eyes, before he turned away. “…We’re here. Let’s go grab Hisoka.”

Homare sighed at the other man’s usual avoidance that came up anytime they discussed _feelings_ , but gave Chikage an exasperated smile, and a fond shoulder bump before he got out of the car. He brought the extra cardigan with him, and patted his chest down to make sure his multiple bags of marshmallows were still with him. He followed Chikage as he led them down a steep hill. Chikage then wordlessly held Homare’s hand to make sure he didn’t slip, and a few moments later, they both came out of the clearing to see a cliff overseeing the ocean in the distance.

And one very familiar figure sitting on the cliff with their back facing them.

Homare’s eyes widened in recognition, and relief washed over him. He let go of Chikage’s hand, and dodged Chikage’s subsequent half-hearted grab for him, to run forward and envelop Hisoka in a hug from behind. He tried to call out Hisoka’s name, but nothing but air came out.

Hisoka was also _freezing_ to the touch.

Homare pulled back only to try and maneuver Hisoka’s arms through the cardigan he brought. Luckily, while Hisoka still refused to say anything, or even acknowledge Homare’s existence, he let his body be malleable enough to be moved around as Homare liked. Once he successfully put the cardigan on Hisoka, he tried to spin Hisoka around so he wouldn’t have his back to Homare. He managed that with relative ease too, but Homare frowned when he noticed how blank Hisoka’s eyes looked.

‘Darling?’ he mouthed, moving the both of his hands to gently cradle Hisoka’s face.

Hisoka was silent for a moment, before he opened his mouth to speak, “…It’s okay if Arisu hates me now. I wouldn’t blame you.”

Homare narrowed his eyes, and moved his hands away from Hisoka’s face reluctantly so that he could type out a response on his phone. He used the memo app this time to write out his thoughts, ‘I don’t hate you, and you know that I very well would _never_ hate you. I was worried sick when you left, but I don’t blame you for a single thing more. Let us go home now and get out of this frigid cold.’

Hisoka frowned as he read the message, “…Arisu can go home. I’m staying here.”

Homare didn’t even bother to write a message this time. He just hugged Hisoka to his chest tightly, even as he shivered from the sudden shift from the warmth of the car to the cold chill of the night air.

Hisoka sighed quietly, “You’re so stubborn. Fine, let’s go home. You’ll catch a cold otherwise.” he relented. He was still frowning, even as Homare beamed at him, and held his hand to pull him toward the car, where Chikage was standing.

When Chikage noticed them approaching, he rolled his eyes at Hisoka. “Running away in the middle of the night? Becoming an actor has certainly given you an appreciation for theatrical flair.”

Hisoka glared at him in response, “You shouldn’t have brought Arisu with you. I’ll feed you sugar in your sleep.” he threatened. 

“As if I’d let you.” Chikage scoffed, and opened the door to the driver’s seat. “Anyway, we’ll figure out how to fix this back at Mankai, just get in the car for now.”

Homare smiled, and gently pushed Hisoka into one of the back row seats, before taking a seat beside him. He fastened both their seatbelts, and ignored Chikage rolling his eyes at them in the rear mirror. He then happily leaned all over Hisoka, essentially smothering his fiancé in the process.

Chikage frowned as he started the engine, and peered into the rear mirror, “Are you punishing him? I’m not against it, but that’s what it looks like.”

Homare huffed in irritation, before moving off Hisoka a little, but staying very much in the other man’s personal space.

Against Hisoka’s better judgment, he leaned back on Homare, and enjoyed the feeling (and relief) of being close to his fiancé again. He had missed this very much. He sighed softly when his cheek met Homare’s shoulder, and he felt his partner’s fingers start to run though his hair lovingly.

He _knew_ he didn’t deserve such warmth and kindness, especially after what he did, but his fiancé always had so much warmth and kindness to give.

And he was so incredibly selfish when it came to Arisu, after all.

It also didn’t help that Homare indulged him every single time. Even when he didn’t deserve it. _Especially_ when he didn’t deserve it. Like now.

Hisoka tried his best not to fall asleep despite his body desperately wanting to. He didn’t want to be awake with the guilt that was eating him alive anymore. But he was also scared of what his dreams would bring. At the very least, he had to apologize first. “…I’m sorry, Arisu.” he murmured quietly, his eyes falling shut. “I’m so sorry.”

A tiny, minuscule, essentially non-existent part of him wanted to tell Arisu he’d be fine with it if this was the last straw, and he wanted to call off the engagement. Or even their relationship, for that matter.

He then selfishly squashed the thought near immediately, because he was anything but _fine_ with that idea. The idea made him feel ill, actually, so much that he didn’t say anything else in case opening his mouth made him vomit all over Homare’s shoulder. Before he could go through yet another round of harsh self-loathing, he felt Homare’s cheek rubbing against his hair.

An automated voice read out, “It’s okay, Hisoka-kun. We’ll figure it out together. I promise.”

Hisoka frowned, “I hate that. Just type out your messages, or text me.” he muttered, before pressing his face back into Homare’s shoulder. He loathed the automated voice. It was nothing like the warm timbre of Homare’s voice, and it was missing all of Homare’s vivid feelings that Hisoka so adored. He hated this so much. He hated himself for doing this to the person he loved the most.

Homare frowned, but nodded gently against Hisoka’s head. The other man’s voice sounded so guilty and depressed, and Homare desperately wanted Hisoka to stop feeling those negative feelings. Gently, he moved Hisoka’s face away from his shoulder, and pressed forward to kiss him with all the adoration and love he could muster up. He felt Hisoka wrap his arms around his neck to pull him closer, and return the kiss with equal fervor and love.

Chikage did his best to keep from gagging (audibly, at least), and tore his eyes away from the rear mirror. He sighed exasperatedly, and did his best to focus intensely on the road ahead. Just this once. He would tolerate this, just this once.

Homare moved to pull away, and laughed soundlessly as Hisoka grunted in annoyance, and tried to follow after his lips. ‘I love you.’ Homare mouthed, and fondly pressed one more indulgent and chaste kiss to Hisoka’s lips before pulling back.

Hisoka kept his arms wrapped around Homare’s neck, and even though he couldn’t make himself smile for his fiancé, he could at least return the loving words. “I love you too, Arisu. I love you so much.” he murmured sincerely, eyes softening at how pretty Homare looked when he smiled while blushing.

Homare knew he was probably acting too much like a lovesick fool, but he couldn’t help it. He was just so terribly in love, so much that he didn’t know what to do with himself. When Hisoka leaned closer to hug Homare to his chest, and he heard a familiar crinkling noise, his eyes sparkled as he remembered the marshmallows he brought with him. He reached into his cardigan from below (since Hisoka was currently all over the front of his cardigan), and pulled out a bag of marshmallows. The sound of the bag rustling caught Hisoka’s attention, and he sleepily opened his eyes as Homare gently pushed the bag to his face. “Marshmallows… they’re unopened. Are they new?”

Chikage sighed from the driver’s seat, “Yes, he brought a whole ton for you before we left, so stop moping already. It’s annoying.” he scolded, albeit with a tinge of fondness.

Hisoka’s eyes widened slightly at Chikage’s rare display of encouragement, “…Chikage.” he murmured softly.

“The only one who blames you for what happened also happens to be the shortest one here, you midget.” Chikage added without the slightest repentance. 

Homare tirelessly spent the rest of the car trip trying to keep Hisoka from throwing things at Chikage.

.

.

.

.

.

.

When they stepped through the front door, Winter Troupe was already there waiting for them. Tsumugi and Azuma were the first ones to stand up. “You’re back. Welcome home.” Tsumugi said, relief pouring out of his voice as he moved forward to envelop Homare and Hisoka in a tight hug. Azuma soon followed in on the hug, as did Guy and Tasuku, in that order.

Chikage rested his back against the door, and tried to ignore the hearts and affection springing out from the troupe in front of him.

“Aw, are you feeling awkward, senpai?”

Chikage turned his head to face Itaru as he suddenly stepped onto the foyer, “Chiga-” he started, before getting cut off as Itaru pulled him into a hug.

Itaru smiled into Chikage’s shoulder, “Welcome home, senpai.”

Chikage knew he was smiling too hard, but he did nothing to hide it, “I’m home, Chigasaki.” he whispered back. He knew his voice was also far too sappy and warm, and not at all like his usual way of talking, but something about returning to Itaru made him feel soft.

“…So disgusting, Chikage.” Hisoka muttered under his breath.

Chikage sighed tiredly into Itaru’s hair, “Can we go to bed now? I don’t want to be around the midget anymore.”

“Alright, alright.” Itaru responded indulgently, and pulled back from the hug to hold Chikage’s hand in his own. “My unromantic senpai is clearly acting so sweet because they are exhausted and sleep deprived. Let’s go replenish your LP.” he smiled. Chikage smiled back, and pressed a gentle kiss to Itaru’s forehead. Itaru blushed, and looked up uncertainly into Chikage’s eyes. “I-Imposter..?”

“Just move your feet, Chigasaki.” Chikage sighed exasperatedly, before they started walking hand-in-hand toward their room.

Homare grinned as he watched the two leave, and he was cradling his own face from how hard he was smiling. It seemed like Chikage, at the very least, was _trying_ to take his words to heart.

“Why is Arisu making such a dumb face?” Hisoka asked quietly.

Homare sighed, and quickly typed out a memo. He smiled as he held his phone up to show Hisoka the message. ‘They’re so cute, wouldn’t you agree, Hisoka-kun?’

“No.”

Homare pouted, even as the other members of Winter Troupe laughed at them. Homare couldn’t keep pouting for long before Hisoka murmured something about being sleepy.

Homare smiled knowingly at him, and held up a memo, ‘Of course you are sleepy, you ran away like a naughty child in the middle of the night.’

Hisoka narrowed his eyes, “Not a child.” he complained. Homare nodded indulgingly, and made a move to hold Hisoka’s hand in his own. Hisoka let his head fall against Homare’s shoulder, and he sighed softly when Homare stroked his fingers through his hair again. Hisoka opened one eye suddenly. “Someone is coming.”

“Oya, oya, let’s run before we get yelled at for causing such a ruckus.” Azuma laughed, a playful smile on his lips.

Tasuku grimaced, “Yeah. I’m not in the mood for a lecture. Good night.”

Tsumugi smiled, and quickly followed after Tasuku. “Good night, everyone.”

Guy nodded, “Good night. See you all tomorrow.”

Winter Troupe quickly dispersed to their respective rooms, leaving the foyer as empty as it normally would be at three in the morning. Coming out of the shadows, Misumi frowned as he looked around.

“Triangles… no triangles here. I was going to ask them for more triangles.” he said sadly, taking the cookies out of his hoodie’s pocket. He smiled as he looked at them, “Each cookie has a triangle on each end! Triangle-!”

Sakyo stomped his way into the foyer, “-So it was _you_ making all this ruckus, Ikaruga.” he muttered sternly.

Misumi gulped, and frowned in despair, “…T-Triangle…” he mumbled, before accidentally dropping the cookies in his hands. “Ah! My triangles!”

Sakyo frowned as he inspected the cookies that fell onto the ground. “Wait… aren’t these Yukishiro’s?” he mumbled. When he saw Misumi flinch guiltily, Sakyo gave the younger man a stern look.

“ _Ikaruga_?”

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Hisoka quietly watched how Homare’s chest rose and lowered in his sleep. Hisoka had moved to sit against the wall on his own bed – it wasn’t like he’d be able to get any proper sleep anytime soon anyway.

He knew that nightmares would be the only thing waiting for him in his sleep. He didn’t want to dream up a Homare that was angry at him. Because he knew he’d righteously deserve that anger, and he’d take every harsh, cold, and loveless word to heart, even long after he woke up from the nightmare.

Hisoka refocused his attention on his fiancé. Homare looked peaceful like this, and was even more handsome than usual with the moonlight washing over him, but Hisoka was still wracked with his nerves and guilt.

He slowly tucked his head into his arms as he brought his knees to his chest. “…I’m sorry, Arisu. I would do anything to give you back your voice.” he whispered, voice desperate as a prayer.

Would you?

Hisoka’s eyes shot open at the intrusive thought. Just as he raised his head from his chest, the moonlight suddenly moved away from Homare to instead land on his pillow. Hisoka eyed his pillow with something close to hysteria building in his chest as realization dawned on him. Robotically, he moved forward to move his pillow away from the piece of paper it covered.

Or more specifically, the wrapper that Homare had written his wish on. His unselfish wish for the both of them.

Would you?

Hisoka grabbed it in his hand, and shakily made his way down the ladder towards Homare’s desk. With a trembling hand, he reached forward, and grabbed Homare’s favorite fountain pen.

Would you, truly?

Hisoka’s grit his teeth desperately to keep his sobs from leaving his lips. Hot tears poured down his cheeks as he gripped the fountain pen tightly in his hand. He brought the pen to the edge of the wrapper, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get his hand to move.

You said you would do anything. _Cross it out_.

Hisoka shuddered violently as his instrusive thoughts continued to torment him. “A-Arisu…” he begged. His voice was barely above a whisper, his tears sliding off his chin onto the floor, “… Help me…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh... I think this is the only cliffhanger I've ever had in this story?? So I don't feel all that bad about it hehe :) Also yes, I kind of cheated by calling it a 'piece of paper' in earlier chapters, but I had to throw you all off somehow ok. It's technically a piece of paper :)) The chapter name comes from the time that Homare told Hisoka, "Woe is you, and the things you do for love". Point is - Hisoka is willing to do a heccking lot for the people he loves.
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
> 
> PSA: Again, please look at Jas (@caviluxx)'s Hisohoma thief AU on Twitter! I need. them. to. kisth.


	12. Blooms For My Soulmate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :) okay you guys win, I'm too impatient to wait any longer. The 'challenge' this time was to get reviews from two different accounts on Chapter 11. I do the challenges for my own fun though, which is why I never share them ahead of time. With that being said... challenges are cancelled henceforth. I'm resuming a normal updating schedule again :D yayyy! 
> 
> In the time I didn't update, we hit some fun milestones. Got mentioned on Twitter again & passed 2,500 hits <3 thank you all so much!! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter~ thank you for reading <3

“…Hisoka-kun?”

Hisoka’s eyes snapped open to see Homare getting off the ladder, and looking at him with a great deal of concern. “Darling? What ever is the matter-?” he started sleepily, before he got cut off when Hisoka suddenly jumped into his arms, and knocked them both over. Homare groaned as pain shot up his back when they hit the floor. He then wrapped his arms around Hisoka’s waist, “H-Hisoka-kun… Ah, just a moment.” he said slowly, before moving a hand to touch his own throat. “My voice is-”

The door suddenly opened to reveal Azuma, who rushed into the room. “Homare.” he called out, voice uncharacteristically out of breath. He quickly opened his hands to reveal a number of cookies, “T-They didn’t disappear, they-”

“-Jeez. I suppose it makes sense that the only time I see you this riled up is over your own troupe, Yukishiro. I’m coming in-” Sakyo suddenly interrupted, and entered the room with Misumi in tow as well.

Sakyo froze when he saw the position that Hisoka and Homare were in on the floor. “-Never mind. Sorry for the intrusion.” Sakyo said in one breath, while still surprisingly maintaining his calm, and pulled a confused Misumi back out of the room with him in one movement.

Homare’s mouth gaped open in shock. “…I-It’s not what it looks like, Azuma-san.” Homare said nervously, pushing both him and Hisoka into an upright sitting position.

It seemed as though Azuma was able to compose himself back into his usual serenity in the matter of seconds that Homare was adjusting his and Hisoka’s position into something less… provocative. Homare would be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed, even if Azuma’s version of ‘riled up’ would be unnoticeable to anyone that didn’t know him well enough. Azuma raised an eyebrow elegantly, “Of course I know what this isn’t, I _am_ an ex-professional cuddler, after all. As I was saying… it turned out that Misumi was the one who took the cookies the night of Hisoka’s birthday.”

Homare’s mouth gaped open again, “That’s incredible! How ever did he do it without any of us realizing?”

Azuma nodded in agreement, “Misumi was apparently so fast that the wind that blew out the candles and lanterns was _him_. He must have seen me showing the cookies to Sakyo earlier that day, and decided he wanted them. I’m not sure why he didn’t just ask if he wanted some, but well… that’s the gist of it.” he explained.

“That so? But then… why did my voice disappear?” Homare asked quietly.

Azuma shook his head. “I’m not sure, but it’s happened to me before in the past, where I would just lose my voice for a few hours. One time, I lost my voice right before a presentation for school. The teacher didn’t want to believe me, but I… fufufu… _convinced_ him otherwise.” he explained with a gentle smile.

Homare smiled nervously in return, “I see… well, I’m simply bursting with relief that I’m back to normal.” he responded, before he suddenly grinned. “I have approximately six hundred and nineteen poems that I’d like to share over the next coming days, so prepare to feast your ears.” he added with a dramatic flourish of his hand. “Ah… carte blanche, I feel one coming right now!” he cried out.

“Good night Homare, Hisoka.” Azuma said quickly with a couldn’t-be-bothered smile, and neatly shut the door after him.

Homare pouted, and crossed his arms over his chest, “It _is_ rather late. I suppose I can’t blame Azuma-san for retreating for the night, even at the loss of hearing a masterpiece from the greatest genius of this century.” he dramatically sighed. He then turned to face Hisoka, who was currently leaning against his side. “Darling? What is it that you needed help with?”

Hisoka frowned from where he was currently resting his head on Homare’s shoulder, “…It’s nothing, Arisu.” he responded hesitatingly. He didn’t want to tell Homare about how much the idea of not being married to Arisu frightened him. Or about how lonely and upset just the thought of it made him. But he also wanted to know what Homare would have chosen. Now that he could think a bit more rationally, he couldn’t see Homare answering with anything other than their marriage, but he wanted to be sure.

Homare didn’t believe Hisoka, but he also knew that the other man would tell him when he was ready. “Alright, love.” he said instead, and leaned forward to press a kiss to his fiancé’s lips. They both instantly melted into the kiss, and it was obvious that Hisoka was a lot more relaxed now than he had been in the last few hours. Homare pulled back slowly, “I love you, Hisoka-kun. I’m eternally grateful that I can say those words out loud to you again.”

“I love you too, Arisu.” Hisoka murmured softly, before he mulled over his thoughts for a moment. “…If you actually couldn’t talk for the rest of your life, would you be really upset?” he finally asked.

Homare gently cradled Hisoka’s hands in his own as he smiled, “At you? Not at all, and never.” he swore, before he continued. “In general? Mm… I suppose I would be.” he admitted, his eyes closed in thought. “It would be upsetting to permanently lose my ability to recite my poetry out loud. They just sound so much more profound when I’m the one reciting them, which is, of course, no surprise.”

Hisoka raised his eyebrow, “…Just upsetting? Arisu would faint.”

Homare pouted, “Excuse you, Hisoka-kun! I would greatly appreciate it if you could kindly refrain from putting words in my mouth. …However, I suppose you would be correct in saying fainting would be a potential, but even then, I wouldn’t blame you in the slightest, do you understand?”

Hisoka stared intently at their intertwined hands, and nodded slowly. “I guess I do. …Would you rather get your voice back than for us to be married?” he asked quietly.

It was a strange and oddly specific question, but it wasn’t like Homare hadn’t heard weirder questions in his life before. Homare was quiet for a few seconds before he spoke again. “It depends on what being ‘married’ to you means.” he answered carefully. “It’s a philosophical question. To _me_ , marriage involves a promise woven together with the threads of our vows, to stay together forever. But not everyone thinks that. To some, marriage is simply an additional step, or a way for them to be recognized as being together under the law. Which is, of course, absolutely fine. However, you’ve said before a few times that you already see us both as married, so I’d wager on your views on marriage as being similar to mine. It doesn’t matter that you don’t care about the wedding, because what you care about is the oath that we’ll stay by each other’s side eternally, even through sickness and health.” he explained. He then smiled warmly, and looked into Hisoka’s eyes, “If that’s what it means to be married to you… my answer is that I would sooner tear out my own vocal chords, and all of my limbs myself than to ever leave your side.”

“…You’d tear off your limbs?”

“And my vocal chords.” Homare added with a smile.

“…Creep.” Hisoka muttered under his breath, and averted his eyes.

Homare pouted, “ _Hisoka-kun_ …” he whined. “When are you going to start treating me like I’m _not_ the scrum off the bottom of your shoe? I’ll have you know that while I have my faults, I have many good points too! For example, of course, is my poetic prowess. Sometimes, it astounds even me the magnitude of my ability-”

“-Arisu, I’m sorry.”

Homare stopped talking, and frowned in confusion. “You’re actually apologizing?”

“Not for calling you a creep.”

“Ah… I figured so. Please continue then.”

Hisoka frowned, and he was tempted to just back out of having to talk about it, but he pushed on. “…For a moment, I was considering… giving up our marriage to give you back your voice. I was feeling so guilty, and I hated myself for taking away something so important to you.” he explained with a tight voice. He looked down at Homare’s lap. “But I was wrong. I thought it would just be punishment for me, but I didn’t take into account your feelings. I…” he trailed off, before raising his head, and looking directly into Homare’s eyes. Homare smiled encouragingly for him to continue, and rubbed his thumb gently across Hisoka’s cheekbone. Hisoka smiled back warmly, and cradled Homare’s face in return. “I really, really want to be married to Arisu. As long as you’re by my side... I can continue living peacefully and happily as Hisoka Mikage.”

Homare sighed fondly, and shook his head slightly. “I would give up so much more than just my voice to be married to you. The fact that you even had to question it is rude, Hisoka-kun.” Homare huffed, but his smile was still incredibly warm.

Hisoka nodded, “I know. I won’t ever do something like that again.” he quietly promised, before leaning forward to rest his forehead against Homare’s. “I’m grateful to be able to stay by your side, now, and forever. …Thank you for letting me, Arisu.”

Tears gathered in Homare’s eyes, and he took a shaky breath before answering. “The one who is grateful… is me. I never thought I’d be able to have this. For letting me stay by your side, you have my eternal gratitude, Hisoka-kun.”

Hisoka and Homare kept their foreheads pressed together in silence for a few moments, and simply enjoyed the feeling of being close to one another. Hisoka’s eyes suddenly snapped open when he felt Homare’s body fall slack against him, and he moved his hands to steady Homare’s shoulders. “Arisu? Are you okay-?”

“Zzzz…”

Hisoka sighed quietly in relief. “That’s not funny, Arisu.” he whispered, and gently picked Homare up in his arms. He was able to walk up the ladder to Homare’s bed with ease, no doubt since he’d probably had to do harder feats in the past anyway. He carefully placed Homare down on his bed. Hisoka’s eyes widened slightly when the moonlight suddenly washed over the both of them. “The moon… I feel it calling for me. But I’m not going to leave this place.” he whispered, and moved to hold Homare’s hand in his. “I’m not going to leave this person. …If I ever can’t withstand the yearn of the moon… I’m taking them with me.” he whispered to himself.

Homare’s hand tightened around his in his sleep. Hisoka looked down at their intertwined hands, before smiling gently, and pulling the blanket over the both of them.

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Homare grunted sleepily, and reached around blindly for his fiancé. When his hands met nothing but air, he blearily opened his eyes. “Hisoka-kun?” he murmured quietly. He frowned as he pushed himself up to a sitting position, and looked around the room. It was a little past four in the morning, and it looked like Hisoka was nowhere in the room. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little bummed. He’ll probably need to set up a system with Hisoka so he’ll know that the other man is safe when he leaves in the middle of the night, but he also knew that this was a part of loving Hisoka. The other man simply had a ridiculous amount of wanderlust, but Homare trusted him to always come back to him.

That didn’t mean he couldn’t worry, though.

Just as he was about to throw the blanket off of himself, and go looking around the dorm for Hisoka, the door suddenly opened quietly.

Homare looked down to see Hisoka walking into the room with a bundle of flowers in his arms, which were neatly tied together with a piece of string.

Hisoka raised an eyebrow when he noticed that Homare was staring down at him. “…Why is Arisu up?” he asked tiredly.

Homare spluttered for a few seconds, before giving Hisoka a reprimanding look. “Why am _I_ awake? For starters, my fiancé wasn’t in bed with me despite being here just an hour prior. Why are _you_ awake, Hisoka-kun?” he huffed, pointing an accusing finger at the other man.

“I got you flowers.” Hisoka answered blandly. “From the courtyard.”

Homare’s finger dropped to his lap as his eyes widened in surprise. “Flowers? For me?” he asked quietly in awe.

Hisoka just yawned in response. He then climbed up the ladder to Homare’s bed, and thrusted the flowers in the other man’s face. “Here.” he said.

Homare blinked in silence for a few seconds, before gingerly accepting the flowers from the other man’s hands. He smiled as he brought the flowers closer to his face. “These appear to be… hydrangeas, aren’t they?”

Hisoka made a noncommittal sound as he pulled the blanket over himself. “Don’t know. They just looked nice.”

Homare smiled nevertheless, and blushed as he held the flowers to his chest. Hisoka blinked sleepily as he watched Homare admire his flowers. Whenever Homare smiled, his eyes would light up in a breathtaking shade of garnet, and Hisoka always enjoyed how Homare’s cheeks would tint a warm pink whenever he blushed.

Homare then peered down at Hisoka, who looked like he was approximately five seconds away from falling asleep. “They’re very pretty. Thank you, Hisoka-kun.” he whispered, eyes softening with overwhelming adoration.

Hisoka could feel his own cheeks starting to burn when Homare smiled down at him, before Homare turned to admire his flowers again. Hisoka was aware he probably looked the part of a completely smitten fool, so he tried to shuffle more of the blanket higher to cover his face.

Bathed in the moonlight, his fiancé looked nearly ethereal, and so painstakingly beautiful in a way that nearly hurt Hisoka’s heart. “…Arisu is way prettier.” he whispered reverently, hoping the blanket would muffle how smitten his voice sounded.

Homare nearly dropped the flowers, and his mouth fell open in shock as he turned to face his fiancé to confirm if it had really been him that had spoken. The familiar voice most certainly belonged to his dearest, but it also held such strong conviction, and each word was dripping with so much adoration that it had Homare’s heart quickly speeding up. “H-Huh?”

“Zzzzz…”

Homare sighed softly as he looked down at his sleeping fiancé, but he was soon smiling again as he looked at the flowers he’d be given. “The one who is pretty- no... gorgeous, is you, darling.” he murmured fondly, before bringing the flowers to his lips for a chaste kiss. He then gently placed the flowers down by the side of his pillow, and got underneath the blanket with his fiancé. “Good night, my love. We’ll celebrate your birthday properly when we wake up, okay?” he whispered, and gently kissed Hisoka on the cheek. He then hugged Hisoka’s arm to his chest, and fell asleep in a matter of seconds.

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Homare’s alarm went off a few hours later, or at seven in the morning, to be specific. He quickly turned the alarm off with his free hand, and pulled the blanket off of himself. He remembered hugging Hisoka’s arm to his chest before he fell asleep, but now all of Hisoka’s limbs were splayed over him.

Gently, he tried his best to untangle Hisoka’s arms and legs, and after a few minutes of maneuvering, he successfully managed to get out of his fiancé’s hold without waking him up. 

“…Arisu.”

Or not. It seemed like Chikage was correct when he said that Hisoka could be frighteningly aware of his surroundings in his sleep.

Homare smiled down at his partner, and moved his hand to stroke through his silver locks. “Hisoka-kun, good morning.”

Hisoka grunted, and lethargically reached out his hand to grab onto Homare’s sleeve. “…Where are you going?”

“I’m embarking on a grand trip to the supermarket to buy more... tada, marshmallows for your birthday party later.” he responded lovingly.

Hisoka grunted again. “…I’ll come with Arisu. I want to make sure you get the luxurious marshmallows this time.” he replied, before slowly sitting up with his eyes still closed. Hisoka’s hair was fluffy from sleep, and looking at his fiancé made Homare want to internally combust from how cute the other man looked.

Homare grinned giddily, and hugged Hisoka to his chest, before pressing a loving kiss to the side of his fiancé’s head. “You’re so cute! I can’t ever get over that fact! I’m going to keep you forever!”

“…That’s the plan, Arisu.” Hisoka answered tiredly, but he decided to indulge Homare by letting himself be squeezed like a stuffed animal. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was secretly pleased that Homare could be made so happy by just his presence alone. He felt the same way about the other man, after all.

“...Ah, I just remembered. Since you’re awake now, would you like to hear my poetry now, or later?” Homare asked eagerly, eyes sparkling with the prospect of finally being able to recite his poetry.

Hisoka was silent for a few seconds, before nodding. He didn’t have the heart to let Homare down this time. Not completely, anyway. “You can tell me one now, but Chikage told me yesterday that he was desperate to hear your poetry. Leave them for him.”

Homare was overjoyed. “Really?! Chikage-kun really is my best friend, after all!”

Hisoka’s eyes opened blearily at that. “What the hell-?”

“-But for now, a poem for my most favourite person. Ahem!” he started, before dramatically shoving Hisoka away from him (but safely onto the bed), and pressed his hand against his chest. “Woeful extermination, saddened destruction. Thy lies no other fate for thy accused fish eggs. No rights, no pop, pop, pop.” he recited dramatically, putting far too much emphasis on certain syllables.

Hisoka listened from the weird angle on the bed he was shoved into, and questioned his life choices that led up to this moment. At the end at his poem, Homare held Hisoka’s hands in his own, and beamed down at him. “So? How was that, darling?”

“…It sounded more like a poem for Itaru.”

Homare hummed thoughtfully to himself. “You are most correct. Itaru-kun _would_ appreciate it. I’ll recite it for him later. I believe he had to leave for work earlier than normal today, so I’ll try to catch him when he comes back.” he responded, before he suddenly chuckled. “As for the state of his lover... Chikage-kun took the day off. He said it wasn’t for your birthday, but it could not be more palpable that it _was_ for your birthday. For now, shall we get changed, and head to breakfast? I believe Omi-kun has prepared marshmallow dishes for you for lunch, but if lady luck has given you her blessing, he might give you a treat during breakfast too.”

Hisoka immediately grimaced, “No more higher power intervention.”

Homare laughed at that, and grabbed Hisoka’s hands to help pull him up into a sitting position. “Up you get.” he said sweetly, as if he wasn’t the one that pushed Hisoka into the bed in the first place. As he turned, a flash of blue in the corner of his eye reminded him of the beautiful bundle of flowers Hisoka had gifted him. He reached for them, and held them delicately in his hand. “You have my gratitude again, Hisoka-kun. I do adore them so.”

Hisoka nodded. “It’s good that Arisu likes them.”

“Of course I would.” Homare responded, and kissed Hisoka on the cheek again before they both started getting changed and ready to start their day. They walked hand-in-hand to the kitchen, where Omi was standing in front of the stove.

Homare waved his hand in greeting when he also saw Tasuku and Tsumugi sitting at the table, with miso soup, eggs, and sausages in front of them. “Good morning everyone.” Homare greeted, followed by a grunt and nod from Hisoka, which elicited a chorus of greetings and ‘happy birthdays’ in return.

Tsumugi brightened up when he saw the flowers in Homare’s hand. “I see that Hisoka-san found good use with the flower meaning book I gave him.” he smiled, before nodding in approval. “Hydrangeas for Homare-san... you put a lot of thought into it, didn’t you, Hisoka-san?”

Homare chuckled, and smiled knowingly at Hisoka, who refused to look up at Homare. “I knew you put some thought into it.”

“…I didn’t look at the book.” Hisoka refuted.

Homare smiled indulgingly, “If you so say, darling. Let us sit down and enjoy breakfast now, alright?”

He then placed Hisoka into a seat, and fetched them both some platefuls of breakfast. Omi smiled, “I do have some marshmallow treats for Hisoka-san. I prepared some rice crispy treats for lunch, but since he’s awake already, he can have some now if he’d like to.”

Homare nodded, “Your noble efforts are much appreciated, Omi-kun. You have my gratitude. Hopefully, we’ll be able to return the favor to you during your own birthday.”

Omi laughed, “Like I’ve said before, I’m happy to do it – but thank you, Homare-san.”

Homare laughed with Omi, “My pleasure, Omi-kun.” he warmly responded, before walking over to where Omi kept the treats.

Homare grabbed three rice crispy treats on top of the normal breakfast items he plated, and headed back to the table. He placed them down on the table, and smiled when he noticed Tasuku and Tsumugi were whispering to each other.

“As always, your deep bond astounds me to my very core. There’s nothing quite like a bond strengthened by time, and cowardly regrets.” Homare earnestly complimented.

Tsumugi’s smile turned strained, “…Yes, thank you, Homare-san.” he murmured in response.

Tasuku gave Homare a look, “You never learn, do you..?”

Both Tsumugi and Tasuku just sighed in unison when Homare gave them both an innocent, and confused look. “An airhead and a sleepyhead… it works surprisingly well.” Tasuku muttered quietly to himself. 

Homare settled down into a chair, and held a rice crispy treat to Hisoka’s mouth to handfeed him. “To reiterate what we’ve discussed prior, will we still be having a picnic for dinner to celebrate Hisoka-kun’s birthday?”

Tsumugi nodded, “Yes. Tasuku will drive, you’ll bring the food and marshmallows, and the rest of us will bring the supplies. We’ll also be giving Hisoka-san our presents then.”

Homare nodded, “Indeed. That sounds exactly on par with what I remembered.” he responded, before smiling down at Hisoka. “Are you excited for your presents? Not to sing my own praises, but I believe I outdid myself this year.”

Hisoka frowned from where he was leaning on Homare’s shoulder, “Is it going to be another poetry book?”

“Unfortunately not, but it was a close contender.”

Hisoka quietly sighed in relief, and ate the rest of his breakfast in silence while his troupe members chatted idly amongst themselves. After breakfast, Hisoka and Homare put on their jackets, and started walking hand-in-hand toward the supermarket with their shoulders bumping every now and then, but neither seemed inclined to move away.

As they got onto Veludo Way, Homare marvelled at the bright Christmas decorations. “This festivity is inciting so much creativity in me! Don’t you feel the same way, Hisoka-kun?” he asked, grinning brightly. It was a bit cold, and they probably should have worn mittens, but the warmth of each other’s hands was something they both secretly didn’t want to give up just yet.

Hisoka sighed sleepily, and shook his head. “Not really. It just feels like any other December.”

Homare raised an eyebrow at that. “Did you not celebrate in the past? August-san seemed to be rather jovial – I would think that he’d be one to enjoy the holidays, as well as your birthday.”

Hisoka nodded, “He did.” he answered. He was quiet for a few minutes before adding. “…Me, August, and Apr- Chikage would make gingerbread cookies together. It wasn’t bad… it was one of the only ‘spicy sweet’ things that Chikage would tolerate. He used to keep trying to add more spices to the batter, but August and I would stop him.” he murmured quietly.

Homare nodded, “You told me a little about it before. It sounds like you three had many good memories together.” he responded warmly.

Hisoka nodded quietly with a small smile, and the two walked the rest of the way in rare, but companionable silence.

As they stepped into the supermarket, Homare watched in amusement as Hisoka pushed an astronomical amount of expensive, high quality, and luxury marshmallows into their shopping cart. Homare held his fingers to his chin as he smiled, “Get whatever your heart desires Hisoka-kun, I have saved plenty of paycheques for this occasion.”

By the end of their shopping endeavor, their cart was stacked high and full of marshmallows. After he paid, Homare frowned as he looked at their multiple shopping bags. “Oh my… perhaps we should call Chikage-kun and see if he could bring his car.” he suggested, and moved his flowers to be safely tucked inside his cardigan.

Hisoka grunted noncommittally, “…I could just eat some.”

“Darling, ‘some’ would be the equivalent of eighty bags of marshmallows. I’m calling Chikage-kun now.” he responded, and quickly dialed in Chikage’s number. As always, the other man answered concerningly quick.

“Homare-san? Are you and Hisoka alright?”

Homare smiled, “Yes, Chikage-kun. Are you busy at the moment?”

“Not particularly.”

“Then please pick me and Hisoka-kun up from the supermarket. We can’t carry all these bags of marshmallows by ourselves, unfortunately.”

Homare heard Chikage sigh, before the other man agreed. “Fine. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

Chikage, as he had promised, arrived at the supermarket in just short of five minutes. He raised an eyebrow as he stepped into the supermarket to see Hisoka and Homare surrounded by about sixty shopping bags. All of which were clearly stuffed with _just_ bags of marshmallows. He took a deep breath, before he levelled them both with a long-suffering look. “There aren’t any words strong enough in my repertoire to describe how much I hate you both.”

Homare grinned, and pointed at himself, “Shall I lend you my extensive repertoire then, Chikage-kun?”

Chikage ignored Homare in favor of carrying multiple shopping bags in his arms back to his car.

Homare pouted, “You could have just said no!”

Luckily, it ‘only’ took about twenty minutes between the three of them to get everything into Chikage’s car. While Chikage probably could have done it in less time, he wasn’t exactly in the mood to be overly helpful. Also, Hisoka had given up on trying to help by the ten minute mark. Homare was exhausted by the time he got into the car, and took a seat next to Hisoka, who was already passed out. In his arms, he was cradling his prized almond chocolate crunch marshmallows.

Chikage looked into the rear mirror, and his eyes widened in recognition once he saw the blue flowers on Homare’s lap. “…Those are hydrangeas, right?” he asked quietly. Against his will, memories suddenly flashed through his head.

_April sighed from where he sat at the kitchen table as August presented him and December each with another bundle of flowers. “...Why must you keep doing this?” he asked in exasperation._

_“So that you two will know how to find partners that treat you right! And so you can treat them right too.” August huffed, crossing his arms across his chest._

_December frowned as he stared at the blue flowers in his hand. “...Not marshmallows.”_

_“You can’t eat them, December.” August sighed again._

_December frowned, and placed the flowers down on the kitchen table before tucking his head into his arms. “...Sleepy. Don’t want flowers.”_

_April shook his head, and put his flowers down on the table as well. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m with December on this one.”_

_August groaned loudly, “You two aren’t fun_ at all. _What are you going to do when your future partners call you two unromantic?!”_

_April shrugged, “Leave them in the middle of the night?”_

_“No!!”_

_December grumbled unhappily. “You two are too noisy. I don’t want a partner. August is all I need.”_

_“Oi asshole, I’m here too. I bet your ideal version of a partner is someone who won’t get in the way of your beauty sleep. Hell, you’d probably go for someone mute.” he retorted, before turning to face August again. “But unfortunately, I’m in agreement with December again. We’d just put our partners in unnecessary danger, August. You know that.”_

_August smiled sadly as his gaze fell, “I know, I know. But I just can’t help hoping and waiting for the day that the ones you’re fated to be with show up.” he explained, and brought up his own bundle of hydrangeas to his lips. “From the bottom of my heart, I hope they can accept—”_

Homare nodded eagerly, “Indeed! Aren’t they gorgeous? Hisoka-kun got them for me last night… er, or rather, early this morning would be more apt to say.”

Chikage suddenly smiled knowingly to himself as he started the engine. “That so? ...I guess he was right, as always.”

“…?”

Chikage caught Homare’s inquiring look in the rear mirror, and shook his head with a small smile. “No, it’s nothing. ...Do you mind if we stop by a flower shop on the way home, Homare-san?”

Homare’s eyes widened in surprise, before he slowly smiled in understanding. “No, of course not. Please do as you wish, Chikage-kun.”

Chikage nodded, and maneuvered the car out of the parking lot. “Thank you. My sister’s birthday is coming up, and she’ll get mad at me if I forget to get her a present again. You know, it’s funny how she always complains about that when...”

Homare listened halfheartedly as Chikage dived into a fifteen minute saga on his runaway-princess-magical-girl-isekai sister for the rest of the car ride to the flower shop. But on the other hand, the story _was_ admittedly very creative and used a variety of interesting literature references, so he found himself more invested in it than he had originally anticipated.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Homare wasn’t surprised in the slightest when Chikage came out of the flower shop with a fresh bundle of hydrangeas. Homare squeezed Hisoka’s hand fondly.

Secretly, Hisoka hid his smile into Homare’s shoulder, and squeezed the other man’s hand in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's good to be back! :D Thank you for reading <3 See you all next time... by the way, I've confirmed that this story will be 15 chapters in total (the epilogue will be a new work since it'll be nsfw, and isn't apart of the 15 chapters). 
> 
> Please feed me with reviews, kudos, bookmarks, and social media mentions. Thank you!!
> 
> Edit: Forgot to add, I stole the hydrangeas definition/idea from tasutsumu week. Hydrangeas mean “heartfelt gratitude for being understood”. For Homare & Hisoka, it describes their mutual relationship so well. ...Ah, I won’t type an essay here, but you get it right?


	13. Waltz At Our Private Soirée

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, welcome back lovelies <3 super long end note, so I'll keep this simple... enjoy the chapter!

The sunset’s reflection was painted across the top of the lake, which provided a beautiful backdrop for their late picnic. A red-and-white plaid picnic blanket had been laid across the grass, and on it, was tiered-plating with finger food and sweets, sandwiches, and of course, marshmallows. There was also plenty of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. 

Needless to say, they were also surrounded by a comical amount of marshmallows both on and around the picnic blanket which had mothers dragging their children away in horror from what looked like to be a trap to lure in children. On the bright side, it did make it seem more like a private venue like Homare originally wanted (before he got stopped by the rest of his troupe minus Azuma). 

“Will he even stay awake properly?” Tasuku sighed, frowning as Hisoka suddenly leaned onto his side. “Oi, get up Mikage.” he called out, and shoved him back onto Homare’s side. 

Homare laughed as Hisoka made an annoyed sound, and butted his face into Homare’s shoulder. “I want to go home now.” Hisoka muttered. 

Azuma smiled, a wine glass in his hand, and a bottle of wine in his other. The wine was a pretty shade of rose, and had bubbles floating towards the top. The label read, ‘strawberries et crème’. “Let’s do a toast first, Hisoka. We still have to give you your presents too.” Azuma chuckled.

Hisoka sighed, but nodded against Homare’s shoulder before forcing himself to sit upright. “…Is it sweet?”

Azuma nodded, and poured him a glass. “Very sweet. I figured you’d like it.” he responded, before passing the glass to Hisoka. 

Hisoka took a small sip, before nodding slightly in approval. “...It’s good.” 

Homare smiled, and clasped his hands together, “As always, your taste is impeccable, Azuma-san. Shall we give Hisoka-kun our presents now?” 

The other members agreed easily enough, so one by one, the members of Winter Troupe gave their presents to Hisoka. Tsumugi, of course, had made Hisoka a bouquet of flowers, and bought a book on the different kind of marshmallows around the world. “I hope this will help you be more interested in reading, Hisoka-san. Also, these are myrtle flowers. They’re supposed to bring good luck and love in a marriage.” he explained. 

“...You swear they’ll only bring me good things?” Hisoka asked cautiously, still paranoid from the events of the day. 

Tsumugi laughed gently, and nodded. “Yes. I promise.” 

Homare then, of course, was happy that he was matching with Hisoka since they both had flowers now. “Yay! We match, darling.” he smiled, holding their flowers next to each other. Hisoka just nodded mutely in response, but his eyes were shining with fondness. 

Tasuku gave Hisoka the surprisingly practical gift of a sleeping bag, “Here, Mikage.” he grunted, “This should it make it easier to drag you back to the dorm too.”

Hisoka stared at it carefully. “How many bags of marshmallows can I fit in there with me?”

“Of course that’s your main concern... I should have known.” Tasuku sighed, moving his hand to massage his temples. “A whole lot, alright? You can test it out later.”

Hisoka nodded. “Okay.” he answered, before turning to face Homare. “Arisu, I’ll need even more marshmallows.”

“No you don’t!” Tasuku yelled, even as Homare lovingly agreed despite the sea of marshmallows already surrounding them.

Azuma got him some handcrafted wagashi and marshmallows, “Fufu... everyone’s gotten Hisoka such nice gifts, I hope these can hold up. I got these from a century old craftsmaster in a small village guarded by a waterfall, and rabid squirrels.” he smiled, holding a hand to his cheek.

Tsumugi’s smile turned strained. “That sounds like it’s a really nice gift too, Azuma-san. I hope that you didn’t get hurt at all.” Tsumugi offered. 

Azuma laughed, “Not to worry Tsumugi, I wasn’t the one who went to get it.” he answered breezily. 

Tsumugi then decided there were just some things that he would never understand about Azuma. Even his role of leader, and degree in psychology seemed to fall short of the all-consuming power that was Azuma. 

“Here, Mikage. I had these mailed in a few days ago.” Guy said, and presented Hisoka with some Zahran sweets. “They’re the ones that you said you liked.”

Hisoka nodded as he took them from Guy’s outstretched hand. “Thanks. These are my favourite... other than marshmallows.”

“It’s good to switch things up every now and then. Variety is the spice of life, after all.” Homare pointed out with a smile.

Hisoka yawned. “Arisu should do something different that’s not poetry then.”

Homare huffed, and gently tapped the side of Hisoka’s head for the smart aleck. “Hmp. How insolent, you clearly do not know me well enough if you are not aware of my honed command on my multiple other artistic outlets.”

“...Arisu’s rapping isn’t terrible.”

“There we go.” Homare beamed, before his eyes flickered up towards the sky. “Ah, goodness me, it’s getting late. In that case...” he trailed off, turning his head to wink at the others.

The five of them then turned to smile at Hisoka, “This year as well, happy birthday!” they said in unison. 

Hisoka smiled fondly as he held the gifts to his chest, “…This year as well, thank you for celebrating with me.”

Homare pouted, “You didn’t even inquire about my present. Did you forget about me?”

“…Probably.” he answered, and ignored Homare’s whining as he shrugged. “I thought that the hundreds of thousands of yen you spent on my marshmallows was my gift.”

Homare huffed in exasperation, but he was still smiling fondly, nevertheless. “I suppose you could count that partially as your gift, but it’s not my real present.” he responded, before he passed Hisoka an album.

Hisoka’s eyes widened slightly with interest as he started to flip through the pages. There were a bunch of pictures, all of which included him. For the pictures that included him and Homare, there were little handwritten notes next to the each of them about the memory in the photo. He saw photos all the way from their first play, to as recent as just a few days ago.

In the picture of them together in their room a few days after their final run of Sympathy For the Angel, Homare was hugging Hisoka from behind, while Hisoka looked mildly irritated. The handwritten note read, ‘I am intrigued by you. You are ever so interesting to me.’

A candid photo of them together during practice for The Master Likes a Mystery involved Homare holding both of Hisoka’s hands up in the air above their heads. The photo was taken from behind Homare, so while Homare’s expression couldn’t be seen, Hisoka’s sleepy but borderline amused expression could be. ‘I am very fond of you. You are ever so kind to me’.

A captured memory of them resting against each others’ shoulders and heads in the courtyard, both adorning peaceful expressions as they napped together. Homare wrote, ‘I am in love with you. You are ever so perfect.’.

Hisoka tenderly flipped the page, and tried to hide how warm and filled with fondness he felt. The progression of Homare’s feelings was sweet and endearing. Hisoka himself had taken a little longer to fall in love.

But by all means, it was not as pretty of a love that Homare’s nonsensical poems spoke of. 

It was often backed with nights of denial and guilt. Denial that it was anything more than platonic love, and guilt that he would hurt the one he cared so dearly about if he let them get closer. He had tried to hide behind an exterior of aloofness and harsh words, but Homare was never deterred.

And then Homare had gotten hurt anyways, and-

Upon seeing the photo, his eyes widened in recognition of Homare blushing prettily as Hisoka hugged him from behind the sofa, and kissed him sweetly on the cheek. Taking into consideration that Chikage was the only other person in the room at the time (which is probably why he kissed Arisu on the cheek in the first place), he didn’t have to wonder for too long how the photo came to be. Homare had written, ‘I will stay by your side all of eternity. You are ever my everything.’

Hisoka could feel a smile beginning to form on his lips as he read the last message. Homare definitely added that piece thinking it would be poetic, when it really didn’t make sense. But that was fine. Homare didn’t have to make sense. Hisoka still loves them dearly with every fiber of his being.

“Tada! It’s an album of all the memories you’ve created with us since you’ve joined Mankai, and well… there’s some memories of before that too. Chikage-kun told me to tell you to be careful with the album.” he explained. Hisoka was going to ask Homare what he meant, before his lips parted in surprise when he got to a picture of him, August, and Chikage together. They were all dressed in gear, and it looked like it was a photo taken from August’s phone. August was smiling brightly at the camera, while Hisoka was sleepily leaning against Chikage’s side, who was scowling as he tried to push Hisoka’s head off. “There was- ah!” Homare got cut off midsentence as he was suddenly embraced in a tight hug. “H-Hisoka-kun?”

“…Thank you, Arisu.” Hisoka whispered, eyes shut and a grateful smile on his lips. “I really mean it.” 

Hisoka didn’t know how to fit the weight of his gratitude into words alone, but he hoped that Homare knew him well enough to get the gist of it. He was also so happy and frighteningly in love to the point that he probably would have said some truly sappy and cringy thoughts out loud if they were alone, so he was glad that the rest of his troupe was with them. 

Homare smiled, and hugged Hisoka in return, “Of course darling. Anything to make you happy.”

Of course, while he was happy to do it, that wasn’t to say that it was _easy_ to find pictures of August to start with. Never mind photos with the three of them together, even with Chikage’s help (and convincing him to do it in the first place required plenty of emotional blackmailing, pleading, and tossing the best friend title around a couple of times). For obvious security reasons, the three of them didn’t have a lot of photos together, and even if they did, it would be hidden behind layers of encrypted passwords. After days of searching though, Chikage finally found an old USB in his hideout, which contained a few treasured photos of the three of them. Homare had asked Omi for help with the rest of the photos in the album, but Chikage had given the printed photos to Homare himself. He didn’t bother to ask Chikage where or how he had printed them. 

“...Arisu. Why are these pages blank? Were there not enough pictures?” Hisoka quietly asked, which brought Homare out of his thoughts.

“Goodness, no.” Homare laughed, waving his hand. “It was a task in of itself just to go through all the photos, albeit a delightful task. I chose to leave those pages blank so that you could fill them with more memories. Ah, but please do choose wisely... I’d hate for you to run out of space before being able to add some of our wedding photos.” Homare explained, before he shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself. “Oh, the horror of such an ordeal gives me such frigid goosebumps.”

Hisoka nodded slowly, “I’ll be careful to not add too many photos. ...But I could just take out photos if it fills up too quickly.”

Homare’s eyes widened in understanding. “Ah, I see. I suppose you could.”

Hisoka sighed, “Arisu, your brain is too full of poetry.”

“What are you trying to imply, Hisoka-kun...” Homare pouted, even as he let Hisoka manuveur his legs so that he could use his lap as a pillow.

.

.

.

.

.

.

After the picnic was cleaned up, Homare and the rest of Winter Troupe exchanged memories they’ve shared with Hisoka on the car ride back home. Hisoka hugged the album to his chest, and closed his eyes as he listened to his favourite people talking about him ever so fondly. 

He might not have always said it out loud, but he was truly, truly grateful to be a part of Winter Troupe, and to be a part of Mankai Company. On a minuscule level, he was also glad to have been reunited with Chikage, and to be a family with him again. 

Once they got back to Manaki, everyone helped Hisoka carry his presents back to his room. They all then crowded there for a good hour to keep chatting and laughing, before finally dispersing back to their respective rooms. Homare smiled as he looked at the time – it was about eleven at night. If he hurried, he could… 

“Where is Arisu going?”

Homare stopped in his tracks, and turned around to give Hisoka what he hoped would be a reassuring smile. “Just going to the bathroom. Go to sleep Hisoka-kun, I’ll be back before you know it.” he responded with a wave of his hand. 

“…But Arisu is lying-”

Homare shut the door behind him before Hisoka could finish his sentence. He smiled, and held a hand to his chest. “Ignorance is bliss, as the wise men say.”

He jolted when the door suddenly slammed open behind him. “…They did _not_ say that.” 

Homare pouted as he turned around, and saw that Hisoka was giving him an annoyed look. “When have you had such a strong interest in philosophy, Hisoka-kun?”

Hisoka narrowed his eyes, “…What is Arisu scheming?”

Homare sighed with small frown, “I’m not _scheming-_ … alright, you know what? I am.” he suddenly smiled with a wink. He took Hisoka’s hand in his own, and started half leading, half dragging Hisoka into the kitchen. “You can be my accomplice.”

“…Are you baking me a birthday cake?” 

Homare shook his head, “You already had your birthday cake earlier. I am admittedly still in awe that you somehow managed to force Chikage to eat some by refusing to let him take the cake out of his room until he did so. Regardless, I’m baking you something even better.”

Hisoka watched in silence from the kitchen table as Homare measured and mixed flour, a _lot_ of molasses, spices, and one egg into a mixing bowl. Recognition appeared in Hisoka’s eyes. “…You’re making me gingerbread cookies?” he asked quietly. 

“Indeed.” Homare answered with a hum, and started kneading the dough. Once he was happy with the consistency, he pulled out the gingerbread man cookie cutters. After he finished creating the right shapes, he put them on a baking tray, and put them into the oven. He then pulled out some premade white icing, bowls, and food coloring. He hummed a quiet tune to himself as he distributed the icing into three bowls, and pulled out green, black, and white food coloring. 

Hisoka’s eyes widened slightly, “…Are you making gingerbread cookies of me and Chikage?” 

Homare nodded, “Yes. August too.”

“…What about Arisu?”

Homare paused stirring his white-and-black icing mixture (to create silver) for a second as he considered what Hisoka asked. “I suppose I didn’t think of that. No matter, I’ll get red food colouring for next time.”

“…”

“…Hisoka-kun, it’s nearly midnight.”

“…”

“Please stop looking at me like that. There aren’t going to be any supermarkets open at this time.”

Hisoka suddenly pouted, and looked up sadly at Homare – which of course, was Homare’s complete and utter undoing. Homare sighed, “Alright… well, I did also buy purple food coloring in case you wanted a gingerbread cookie of-”

“-Why the _fuck_ would I ever want a gingerbread cookie of July?”

“…To fit the theme of your tragic past?” 

Hisoka sighed, and reluctantly stood up to walk over to where Homare was standing. “If you use enough of the white and black with the purple, could you make it close enough to fuchsia?”

Homare nodded with a smile, and pulled out yellow food colouring, “We could probably make it look close enough to fuchsia with this too.”

“…”

“…It was on sale.”

Hisoka was tempted to just fall asleep so he wouldn’t have to deal with his partner’s stupidity any longer, but he also _did_ want to eat the gingerbread cookies. So aside from staring at Homare in disappointment for a few good and hard seconds, he instead focused his energy on trying to create the right shade of fuchsia with purple, yellow, black, and white food coloring. 

After about thirty more minutes, the cookies were finally out of the oven, and surprisingly pretty good. Hisoka reached for a Chikage-looking gingerbread cookie, and maliciously bit into it. “…It’s good.”

Homare smiled nervously at how mean Hisoka was being to his cookie. He was holding up a Hisoka-looking gingerbread cookie in his own hand. “I-I’m glad to hear that, Hisoka-kun.” he answered. His phone suddenly vibrated, and Homare smiled as he peered at the time. “It’s 11:59pm… your birthday is almost over, love.”

“…”

“Hisoka-kun?”

“…”

Homare chuckled fondly. “Are you really not going to say anything for the last minute? We already figured out that it wasn’t some higher power that caused me to lose my voice.”

“…”

“I suppose I can’t blame you for being paranoid now. …Alright, it’s 12:00am. Your birthday is officially over. Congratulations, Hisoka-kun.” Homare smiled, winking as he pressed a kiss to his Hisoka-looking gingerbread cookie. 

Hisoka made an irritated face at Homare. “Stop that, Arisu.”

“I love you _so_ much, Hisoka-kun.” Homare carried on, staring adoringly into his gingerbread cookie. “You are the love of my crumbly life. We’re a batch made in heaven, and you make all my dreams crumb true. Mwah, mwah, mwah.” he giggled, pressing multiple kisses to the gingerbread cookie. Hisoka threw his half-eaten gingerbread cookie onto the table, and gently yanked down on the longer strands of Homare’s bangs, smiling as Homare yelped in surprise. 

Hisoka then took Homare’s Hisoka-looking gingerbread cookie from his hand, and bit into it, before pretending to mull over the flavor. “It might be too sweet for Arisu.” he said, and tossed the cookie onto the table as well. 

“H-Hisoka-kun, my hair-” he stopped midsentence when Hisoka suddenly pulled him closer, and kissed him passionately on the lips. 

Homare’s eyes widened in surprise, before they slowly closed as he accepted the kiss. His cheeks burned as wet sounds and moans filled the kitchen.“A-Ahn! H-Hisoka-kun…” Homare moaned, shyly parting his lips to let Hisoka’s tongue wrap around his own. He was all too willing to be helpless against how easily Hisoka dominated the kiss.

When they finally pulled back, both their lips were bruised, and a string of saliva connected their mouths. Homare pulled back reluctantly, and felt his cheeks burning. 

“…How was that?” Hisoka asked suddenly, voice lilted to almost sound playful. 

Homare’s eyes widened with recognition.

_“… It might be too sweet for Arisu.”_

_“That’s true. Will you try it out for me first?”_

_“…How was that?”_

Homare smiled in return as memories of their first kiss resurfaced. “It was absolutely perfect, Hisoka-kun.” he answered, leaning down closer to Hisoka’s lips, which were curved into a smile that mirrored his own. “Kiss me again, darling?” 

Hisoka was more than happy to oblige. He wrapped his arms around Homare’s neck, and pulled him closer as he poured all of his feelings into the kiss. He knew that he wasn’t as verbally expressive as his partner, and so he tried to show it through his actions instead. He hoped that Homare had no doubts that he treasured him every bit much that Homare obviously did about him.

Homare smiled fondly as their lips parted again. “Hisoka-kun. Shall we dance?”

Hisoka raised an eyebrow, “…In the kitchen?” he asked sleepily, even if he already knew Homare’s answer.

“Yes, darling.”

“…Alright.”

Homare set his phone to play his classical music track, a playlist he often used when he wanted to focus on his writing, and set it down on the kitchen table. A slow and sad piano tune started to fill the kitchen as Homare moved closer to Hisoka.

Hisoka frowned slightly, “This is so depressing, Arisu. Why did you choose this?”

Homare smiled, and gently nudged Hisoka into the proper waltzing position. He placed Hisoka’s hand on his shoulder, and moved to hold his other hand as he took the leading position. “Why, dear Hisoka-kun, this sadness… is simply a metaphorical deluge to my life without you.”

“But I’m in your life, Arisu, and I’m not going to leave.”

“Yes, neither am I. That’s exactly why I said it was metaphorical.”

“…As always, Arisu makes absolutely no sense.” Hisoka sighed, but relented and danced along with Homare’s movements, letting his partner lead their slow waltz.

Homare smiled, and leaned in closer to gently press a kiss to Hisoka’s forehead, enjoying the way that Hisoka’s cheeks tinted pink. “Love often makes no sense, and yet here the both of us are. Both madly and passionately in love.”

Hisoka hid his smile into Homare’s neck, enjoying the way Homare shuddered from the touch. “…I guess there’s worser places to be.” he admitted softly.

Homare huffed, and felt his cheeks warm with a blush. “There certainly is worser places, but this place isn’t that bad, now is it?”

Hisoka chuckled quietly and fondly, “I never said it was bad.” he whispered. He felt Homare nodding his head, and hold him tighter to his chest.

For once, Homare was the one who fell silent first, and simply continued to lead Hisoka through the steps and movements.

For once, Hisoka felt like he could understand why Homare was so passionate about art. The emotions that welled up inside of him certainly resembled the feelings that Homare spoke of so fondly and loudly whenever he described writing poetry. Hisoka wasn’t sure how he learned how to waltz, but his body certainly seemed to remember the correct way to move along Homare’s. “…What song is this?”

Homare hummed quietly, “Noctourne No.20 in C Sharp Minor by _Chopin_.”

Hisoka nodded, “…It’s still depressing, but it’s… nice too, I guess.”

Homare pulled away slightly, only to lead Hisoka into a gentle twirl. “Indeed. Chopin is an absolute classic. The passion and soul he puts into composing music is simply exquisite. The first time I heard his music as a child, why… I was simply mesmerized and filled to the brim with inspiration. Have you ever felt like that, Hisoka-kun? It’s a wonderful feeling.”

“Sometimes-” Hisoka answered blandly, before his breath hitched slightly as Homare dipped him. Like this… having Homare look down on him like he was the very light of his life, Hisoka’s breath nearly caught in his throat. Hisoka swallowed, and forced his words out. “…Sometimes. When I look at you, I feel like that.”

Homare sighed softly. “You’re so perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

“…I love you.” Hisoka whispered, voice quiet and reverent.

“I love you too, Hisoka-kun.” Homare whispered back, and gently pulled Hisoka back up. He let go of Hisoka so he could give Hisoka a small bow. “My gratitude for granting me a dance, dear Hisoka-kun.”

Hisoka crossed his arms over his chest as he yawned, “…You’re welcome, Arisu. Just don’t make it a habit.”

“Noted, my love.” Homare answered without the slightest hint of sincerity. Hisoka just sighed, but didn’t pull away when Homare got close again. “Just so you are aware...” Homare started playfully, and moved a hand to cradle Hisoka’s cheek. “I’ve always known the meaning of hydrangeas.” he said triumphantly.

Hisoka raised an eyebrow in response. “...I don’t.” he responded, but Homare could tell by the slight mirth in his eyes that he was lying. 

Homare laughed, and tucked Hisoka’s head underneath his chin. “Hydrangeas mean... gratitude for being understood. I’ve always wished that I would someday have someone to give them to, and now I do, but you still beat me to it again. This round goes to you as well, love. I can’t ever win against you.” he said gratefully into Hisoka’s hair. 

Hisoka smiled softly as he closed his eyes. “...I’m the one who can’t win against Arisu. Thank you for spending my birthday with me again this year. Our wedding will happen before your next birthday, so... I’ll make sure to spoil Arisu lots and lots then.” 

Homare nodded, and tried his best to ignore how his cheeks grew warm at the idea. “R-Right. Being spoiled by Hisoka-kun sounds odd, but I’ll do my best to accept your feelings.” he responded.

“Then… until death do us part, Arisu.” Hisoka said quietly.

Homare laughed. “Until death do us part, I look forward to having you by my side, Hisoka-kun. Here’s to spending forever together.”

“Forever.” Hisoka whispered back with a smile, his eyes falling shut as Homare hugged him closer in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One thing I don't talk about often, and tbh that most writers don't talk about, is how much deleted scenes our works have... I'm talking like upwards of 5k words worth of deleted scenes for this work alone. I haven't quite decided on what to do with them all since often times, it's not that they're badly written, they just don't fit the scene and mood as well as I had hoped. For example, for Chapter 10, originally Hisoka and Homare go on a private picnic at like what, 5am in the morning, and it ends in Hisoka hmmm..... taking s p i c y photos of Homare after making out. NOTHING explicit, but it just felt too... sexy?? Perfectly acceptable within T-rated limitations but after struggling and debating for a long time, I rewrote the entire chapter and took it out. Just that scene alone was 2.2k words I chucked out. I'm not sure what my point is. I suppose it's to continue supporting fanfic writers, including ones that aren't high in word count (that gives the false impression they didn't take a lot of time to create), because there's a lot more work that goes into writing than just what shows up as the uploaded version. That's it, thanks for reading and listening to my word vomit <3 see you all next time.


	14. My Arisu & My Darling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! We passed a few milestones again... passed 3000+ hits (cool!), [will] pass 100+ comments (once I reply!), and we're sitting at 195 kudos, so it's going to pass that 200 soon I think. Got mentioned a few times on Twitter... ya'll are creative with your shoutouts... sometimes it takes me a few days or weeks to find them, but I DO find them. One person called this the 'damn arisu' fic and that's so funny. I think I'm going to delete the bottom part this story's summary cuz I am actually not a huge fan of having author notes in the summary, but since you are reading this, I'm going to assume you read all my notes, and know how damn arisu came to be :) 
> 
> Also, big shout out to tits out for omi & two friends... thank you very much for the support <33

“Tasuku-kun.”

Tasuku jolted, and nearly dropped the energy drink he was holding. He whipped his head around to see Homare suddenly standing behind him. The shorter man was dressed in a sweater, joggers, and his usual pale pink scarf. Tasuku lowered his shoulders, which had tensed up from shock, and spoke quietly, “Arisugawa. What the hell is up with you? You’ve gotten way too good at sneaking up behind people lately. And why are you up so early?”

Homare smiled, and made a grand gesture with his hand, “It’s fascinating, no? How the sun rises every day, and dips below the horizon with every night? There’s been masterpieces waxed about the return and fall of such ascendance that the sun wields.” Homare said passionately, before he heard the sound of the front door creaking open. “Ah, please wait a moment, Tasuku-kun! I’m coming with you!” Homare yelled, quickly running over before Tasuku could fully shut the door close behind him.

The taller man raised an eyebrow, but reluctantly let go of the door so that Homare could pull it back open. “…Coming with me? It’s 4am – you know I’m going on a _run_ , right? Like, _exercise_?”

Homare nodded, “Yes, of course, Tasuku-kun. What ever else would you be doing at this fine hour?”

Tasuku’s eyes narrowed, “Then what are _you_ doing at this _fine hour_?”

Homare gave the other man a look of confusion, “I already told you. I am coming with you.”

“But why-”

“-Oya, oya. Good morning you two. I’m home. What are you two discussing so intently about so early in the morning?”

The two turned to look at Azuma, who was walking toward the door with a bright smile. Homare nodded in greeting, and Tasuku offered a grunt. “Good morning, Azuma-san. Welcome home. Tasuku-kun and I were about to go out for a run, would you care to bestow us the honour of your presence for this gallant outing?”

Tasuku crossed his arms over his chest, “Of course he’s not going to-”

Azuma laughed behind his hand, “Fufu. It sounds fun, please count me in. I'll probably slow you down quite a bit though, so please go easy on me.”

Tasuku blanched, and looked nervously between the two other people who were smiling at him. “…Seriously? Alright, fine, there’s nothing I can do about it-”

Tsumugi popped his head out from behind the wall, “See? They’re not burglars, Guy-san. Everyone?” he called out, turning out of the corner, and heading toward the door. “Why are you all gathered here?” he asked. Behind him, Guy was holding up a tennis racquet. Guy didn’t say anything out loud, but he did nod his head in greeting.

Azuma smiled pleasantly, “A tennis racquet? Will we be playing tennis too?”

Guy studied the racquet in his hands, “I heard noises coming from the front door, and so did Tsukioka. We met up in the hallway when we were investigating, and I took this in case there were actually burglars trying to break in.”

Tasuku looked doubtful. “Even if there were burglars trying to break in, could you stop them with that?”

Guy answered calmly without missing a beat, and looked directly into Tasuku’s eyes, “I could kill a man with this.”

Tasuku knew that it probably wasn’t the normal, or even right response to just nod and grunt in acknowledgement to something like that, but he was too used to Winter Troupe’s shenanigans to care anymore at this point. After all, they had a selfish amnesiac narcoleptic that was potentially (probably) an assassin of some sort, two assholes who didn’t understand other peoples’ feelings (but were working towards it), and two that read others _too_ well.

Tasuku was brought out of his thoughts when Homare suddenly clasped his hands together excitedly, “Since everyone minus Hisoka-kun is here, shall we go on a wonderous run together as Winter Troupe?”

Tsumugi nodded, “Sure. That sounds fun. Take it easy on us, alright, Tasuku?”

Tasuku sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “Fine. Whatever. Where the hell is Mikage, anyway?” he murmured, staring at Homare. When Homare didn’t look away from his conversation with Azuma, he cleared his throat, and tried again. “Arisugawa? Where is Mikage?”

Homare stopped midsentence, and turned his head to look at Tasuku, “My sincerest apologies, Tasuku, were you asking me? I’m afraid I’m not sure where Hisoka-kun is.”

Tasuku frowned, and his face contorted in confusion, “…What do you mean you don’t know where he is? Don’t you two share a room? Aren’t you _engaged_?”

Homare nodded, “Of course, both your statements are correct. However, Hisoka-kun will sometimes leave my side in the middle of the night, and while it’s usually to go onto the roof, I can’t be certain where he goes. Usually, he’s back before I wake up, but it’s rather early, so I’m not surprised he isn’t back yet.” he explained.

“He… just _leaves_? And you’re okay with that?” Tasuku asked slowly, his eyes widening.

Homare hesitated, but nodded slowly. “Yes. Everyone, and Hisoka-kun in particular, needs time alone sometimes. We set up a system where he’ll leave me handwritten notes on his pillow whenever he leaves in the middle of the night. They’re usually pretty sweet as well, which I never asked of him to do, but I appreciate the gesture.” he explained, eyes softening as he smiled. “And I installed a tracker on his phone. With his permission, of course.” he added with a wink.

Tasuku stared at Homare intently as the realization dawned on him. “You… you installed a… Never mind, let’s head out now, or it’ll be too late.” he murmured, and made a move to push open the door. The others voiced their agreement, and soon enough, all five of them were running along the streets of Veludo Way.

Homare was just finishing reciting his eleventh poem during the run when he suddenly stretched his arms, and exhaled deeply. “Going on this run was a great idea, thank you for inviting us, Tasuku-kun.”

"Yes, thank you for inviting us, Tasuku. By the way, can we have another break soon?" Azuma asked, delicately dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief.

“I invited _none_ of you people. And we'll be out here all morning if we keep taking breaks.”

Homare carried on with his speech as if Tasuku hadn’t said anything. “My mind has been utterly and completely consumed with the wedding, so this is a wonderful change of pace. Can you all believe that it’s just in two weeks? Every day leading up to the wedding, Hisoka-kun looks more and more handsome – I can barely contain myself.”

Tasuku grimaced, “He was literally sleeping in the hallway like a broken ragdoll yesterday.”

“I’m also so glad that all of Winter Troupe are my, and Hisoka-kun’s, groomsmen. Please don’t tell Itaru-kun, but I do love you all more than I love him. I just _truly_ needed to get him and Chikage-kun together, you see? It was simply ridiculous how _long_ they were taking to get together.”

“You and Mikage flirted in front of everyone for two fucking years before-” Tasuku stopped midsentence, and nearly dropped his energy drink as the realization slowly dawned on him, “…Wait, I’m one of your groomsmen?”

Homare raised an eyebrow, “ _Yes_? What ever else would you be, Tasuku-kun? I asked you all weeks ago, and you all agreed.”

Azuma laughed delicately, “Fufu… he asked us in the form of a poem, Tasuku. Although, it might have been admittedly hard for anyone not as in-synch with Homare to understand.”

Tasuku gave Azuma an offended look, “I’m plenty in-synch with Arisugawa!”

“I never said you weren’t.” Azuma offered back with a breezy smile.

Tsumugi held up his hands with a placating expression on his face, “We’re _all_ in synch with Homare-san, alright? And you’re welcome, Homare-san. We’re elated to be your groomsmen. How were you planning on splitting us up between you and Hisoka-san?” he asked, effectively distracting Homare from inadvertently starting any more fights.

Homare beamed, and clasped his hands together. “Great question, leader! The simple answer is that… I have no idea. I love you all equally.” he answered with a laugh. “…I might admittedly love Hisoka-kun a _smidge_ more, but I love the rest of you all the same.”

Guy raised an eyebrow, “…Equally? Including me? Even though you haven’t known me as long as the others?”

Homare nodded, “Indeed. Needless to say, you fit into Winter Troupe perfectly, Guy-san.” he answered without missing a beat.

Tsumugi smiled as warmness bloomed in his chest, “It’s as Homare-san says, I love all of you too. And if you’re struggling with deciding, Homare-san, should we pull straws?”

Homare nodded eagerly as his eyes sparkled, “How novel! It sounds delightful. You’re always so good at everything, leader.”

Tsumugi smiled bashfully and scratched the back of his head. “N-No, not really. But thank you for saying that.” he smiled.

Azuma laughed into his sleeve, “How about we pull straws on my birthday?”

Homare frowned uncertainly at Azuma, “Are you certain, Azuma-san? I know you said that you were fine with it, but I’d hate to impose on your birthday any more than I already have.”

Azuma nodded with a wink, “Yes. It means I get to drink an extraordinary amount two nights in a row, and not even Sakyo can stop me.” he explained, before giggling. “And of course, as with everyone else in this troupe, I love both you and Hisoka very much. I’m excited to celebrate with you two.”

Homare smiled warmly. “Thank you, Azuma-san.”

Tasuku and Guy exchanged uncertain glances. They weren’t sure if they were supposed to also voice out their undying love for the troupe, or if it had already been too long, and would just come out more awkward than sweet if they said it now. By the time they came to an agreement with their eyes, Homare, Azuma, and Tsumugi were already way ahead of them.

Tasusku’s eyes widened, “H-Hey! Wait up!” he yelled.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Happy Birthday!”

Azuma smiled warmly as his troupe held out their presents around him. “Oh my, thank you all so much for doing this with me again this year. I truly appreciate it.”

He gingerly accepted each of their presents, and downed down another cup of sake. “Guy-san, I was admittedly a little… perplexed when you said that you wanted to choose the sake for my birthday, but you did a very good job.” he complimented, before he brought out a box with straws. “Then, it’s time for some fun. Since tomorrow is Hisoka and Homare’s wedding, we should probably figure out who’s going to stand where.”

Tsumugi laughed, and nodded. “It was admittedly a little difficult to do the rehearsal with not knowing who would stand where.”

Hisoka shrugged, “…It doesn’t really matter to me who’s standing where.”

Homare smiled and nodded, “I do not have a preference as well.”

“You two really are similar in your own ways.” Azuma smiled gently, before his expression steeled. “Then… let’s start.” he said professionally, as if he was a dealer, and expertly shuffled the straws in his container.

Everyone else smiled nervously at the immediate change. Azuma certainly enjoyed gambling.

At the end of it all, it ended up that Homare’s groomsmen would be Tsumugi and Azuma, and Hisoka’s groomsmen would be Tasuku and Guy.

Guy nodded slowly, “So the roommates have been split up.”

Mikage shook his head, “I’m never splitting up with Arisu.”

“Not everything revolves around you, Mikage.” Guy deadpanned without missing a beat.

Winter Troupe continued to talk and laugh for a while before Azuma dismissed everyone from his room for ‘golden hour’. Or more accurately to say, Azuma shoved everyone out of his room with ease and a breezy smile. “You all have to look sharp and well refreshed for the wedding tomorrow, and knowing Homare, there will be multiple photographers with top-grade cameras. You don’t want oversized pores in all the photos, right? Good night.” he said, and closed the door in their faces.

Tsumugi smiled nervously, “Well, that was fun! I suppose we should all listen to Azuma-san, and get some sleep now.”

Tasuku and Guy nodded. Guy then reopened the door, and walked inside, leaving just the four of them standing outside. “We’ll see you tomorrow at nine, Arisugawa, Mikage.” Tasuku said with a small wave, before heading toward his own room.

“Good night, Homare-san, Hisoka-san.” Tsumugi added, before following after Tasuku.

Homare yawned, and stretched out his arms. “Are you planning on staying up for a while longer, Hisoka-kun?”

“...I think so.” Hisoka answered after a few beats of silence. Hisoka frowned slightly in concern when Homare yawned again. “But Arisu should go to bed.”

“Mm... mayhaps. I need to look my prime for tomorrow, after all. But was there still something you needed to do? I might be able to offer my assistance.”

Hisoka mulled over his answer for a bit, before shaking his head. “That’s not it. I have… a weird feeling that Chikage wants to talk to me first.”

“I actually do, you Sleepyhead. But is it really a feeling if I texted you hours in advance about wanting to?”

Homare smiled and waved as Chikage stepped out of the corner. “Chikage-kun, hello.”

Chikage smiled in return, and nodded. “Good evening, Homare-san. Shouldn’t you be asleep by now? If you’re having some jitters, I have some very strong drugs that I could offer you.”

Homare stuck his tongue out at Chikage, “Heed caution, I could very much hold you to that offer.”

“You can’t, because it was a lie.”

“Of course it was.” Homare laughed, and patted Chikage’s shoulder as he walked past. “I truly am tired though, so I’ll be retiring for the night. I’ll see you tomorrow at nine sharp. Good night Hisoka-kun, Chikage-kun.” he murmured, before he jumped in surprise. “Oh! I nearly forgot.” he murmured to himself, before running back to press a kiss to Hisoka’s cheek. “A good night kiss for my soon-to-be husband!” he smiled.

“Bleh.” Chikage gagged.

“Shut up, Chikage.” Hisoka muttered, before getting on his tippy toes and returning the sweet gesture. “Night, Arisu. I’ll try not to sleep in tomorrow.”

Homare nodded, “It’s much alright. The sleeping bag that Tasuku gifted you has already proved to be quite useful for dragging you around in your sleep, after all.” he responded. “I’ll see you later, if not in the morning.” Homare then ruffled Hisoka’s hair affectionately one last time before he started heading back to their room.

Chikage nodded towards the ceiling, “Let’s go up on the roof. I want to have a word with you.”

“…Fine.”

The two walked in silence, and hopped onto the roof with ease. Hisoka’s eyes lit up with interest when he saw a bag of marshmallows, spicy seaweed crackers, and a plate of sake bottles and two sake cups already there. They settled down in front of it, and simply ate their respective snacks in silence for a few minutes before Chikage chose to speak up.

“You know… I never really believed that we could have this. I still don’t, sometimes.” he started slowly, and uncapped the bottle of sake. He poured it into the two cups expertly. “…Sometimes, it feels like I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.” he added.

Hisoka accepted the cup of sake wordlessly. “…You’re saying that you feel like you’re going to mess something up.”

“Yeah. They’re just… normal, you know? But do you know what Homare-san said to me?”

“Something dumb, or a poem.” Hisoka answered with ease, and downed the cup of sake in one go.

“…Do you even _like_ him?” Chikage asked cautiously, before pouring Hisoka another drink.

Hisoka glared at Chikage. “…What kind of question is that, Chikage?”

“…Never mind then.” Chikage sighed, not wanting to start a fight while still on the rooftop. He didn’t want to deal with a pissed off Homare the next morning when his soon-to-be husband showed up in crutches. “He said that… he and Chigasaki knows what they’re getting into.” he said with a quiet sigh. “That they were the ones that stood by our side since the start.”

“…That does sound like something Arisu would say.”

Chikage raised an eyebrow, “Do you believe him?”

“…I do.” Hisoka answered, conviction steeled in his voice despite the sleepy look on his face. 

Chikage nodded, and took a deep breath before speaking again. “I… don’t think I’m quite at the point where you are yet, but I’ll get there. I’m trying to.” he responded. “I just don’t know if Chigasaki will wait for me.”

“…Why don’t you just ask him?”

Chikage gave Hisoka an odd look. “Ask him? That is guaranteed to get me laughed at, and made fun of for being unromantic.”

Hisoka yawned, and tiredly brought a marshmallow to his mouth. “So? Every time I talk to Arisu, there’s the risk of being forced to listen to a ten-page poem, but I do it anyway. Just as Arisu has accepted me completely, I’ve also accepted him and everything that he is. His fears, hopes, and even how noisy he is.”

Chikage pressed his lips together, “His fears, huh..? Even if that fear is ever… aimed towards you?”

“…Yes.” Hisoka answered truthfully. “Because I trust him to tell me whenever he gets scared. Just as he trusts me to tell him about my own fears when it becomes too much for me to handle on my own. He might not get it, but he’ll always try his best to help. I probably won’t ever be able to completely understand him either, but that’s fine. With each other, we can just be our true selves without holding back.”

Chikage sighed, and downed another cup of sake. “I see… trust and honesty, huh?” he murmured to himself, and he was about to speak again before he noticed that Hisoka had already fallen asleep. “…Hopeless. You’re absolutely hopeless, you know that? What does he even see in you?” he asked quietly to himself, but his smile was fond as he gently threaded his fingers through Hisoka’s hair.

Chikage looked up at the moon, which shone brightly over the two of them. “…You must be happy, August. I wish… I wish you could have been here to see this. Not just this, all of it. I wish you could have seen me at my lows, as well as my highs. …I’m never alone here, and you used to make fun of me for being a loner, but I surprisingly enjoy the loudness of this place. My troupe has this silly thing where I play the part of a grandpa… I know, I know, it’s not like me at all. I’ve changed, and… so has December. But we’re both happy now. One day, I will… I will have the strength to be able to stay here, no matter what. I’m not strong enough yet though, so please give me your strength and support until then. I must have said it more than a thousand times now, but… thank you August. Good night.”

“…Stop monologuing.” Hisoka sleepily complained, tugging the hood of his hoodie over his head.

“Shut up, Hisoka.” Chikage retorted without missing a beat.

Chikage leaned his back against Hisoka’s head, enjoying the way that Hisoka made a sound of annoyance and shoved a hand harshly against his back to try to push him off.

…Yeah. Hisoka and him were going to be just fine.

"...Ahh, à la carte, my moon washed lover is ever so illuminating even whilst he is being squished by thy back."

"I told you I was joking about the drugs."

Nevertheless, Chikage still grabbed Homare's flailing hand to pull him up the rest of the way. "You have my gratitude." Homare smiled as he made himself comfortable. Hisoka had fallen asleep again, and only sighed softly as Homare moved to gently stroke his cheek.

"You should be asleep. Or is it that you're here because you’re actually jittery?" Chikage asked, pouring some sake into Hisoka's cup and passing it to Homare. “I can’t offer you drugs, but I can give you this.”

Homare laughed, but clapped a hand over his mouth when Hisoka made an irritated sound in his sleep. "No, not at all. I just wished to join you and Hisoka-kun. Is that alright?" he asked, albeit more quietly this time as he accepted the cup of sake with a grateful smile. "Thank you for this."

Chikage shrugged, and gestured half-heartedly to Hisoka with his hand. "Be my guest. He's asleep though, as you can see."

"I can see that, yes." Homare smiled, eyes softening with adoration as he watched Hisoka's chest rise and drop in his sleep. He then turned his head to face Chikage again. "That is of no issue. My true intention was getting the chance to return this to you, anyhow." he explained, before procuring a pink scarf from the inside of his cardigan. "I had it washed and dried, so it's as good as new. I figured that now would be as good of a time as any other to give it back to you. I owe you my gratitude for lending it to me for so long." he explained with a smile, before extending it to Chikage. "Now I'd like for it to reunite with its rightful owner."

If Chikage was shocked, he didn't show it on his face. "Thanks." he responded as he took the scarf from Homare's outstretched hand. "You've had this for a while now, huh? Perhaps I should charge a rental fee."

"You're starting to sound like Sakyo-san, Chikage-kun."

"I jest." Chikage chuckled quietly. "...But it really has been a while. I gave this to you at the start of it all, and now we're… here. The night before your wedding with the midget. Do you have any regrets?"

"What a very Chikage-kun like question to ask." Homare scoffed. However, his tone was teasing, and his smile only betrayed a hint of mischievousness. He then made a grand gesture of waving of his arm towards the sky. "Do you see all these stars strung high in the sky through your fake bespectacles? Many of the stars we see here on this fine night are already dead. Much like humans, stars die. Yet stars do not dwell on their regrets. So why should humans?"

"...All you had to do was say no." Chikage deadpanned. "And it's because stars are inanimate. You're not being profound, you're just stupid."

"My, you're harsh with the people you're close with, Chikage-kun. …At times, you even treat me like you do Hisoka-kun. I'll take that as a compliment of the highest order, though." Homare grinned. "Thank you."

"..."

"...You said that these stars above are inanimate… surely, there have been times when I myself had felt inanimate. I used to feel that I was incapable of understanding others' feelings, and that I might have really just been as good at reading others as these twinkling celestial bodies. But yet… there are millions of sonnets written about falling stars and wishes. Stars are so beloved because humans have given them meaning beyond their beauty. I feel the same way. Everyone at Mankai has given me meaning, and because of that, I can shine just as brightly as the stars above, on and off the stage. I am forever indebted... but alas, that’s not quite what I am trying to convey. ...Gratitude. I’m eternally grateful."

"...You're a theatre fool just like the rest of them." Chikage quietly muttered after a few beats of silence.

" _That's_ all you got from my heartfelt speech-?!"

"-Arisu, you’re too noisy." Hisoka complained sleepily.

"Have fun, this is your reality for the rest of your life." Chikage smirked.

"I will, thanks. Better than growing into a lonely old man like Chikage will." Hisoka retorted.

"What was that, you midget…?"

"I said what I said."

"Why you little…"

Hisoka suddenly yawned, and rubbed at his eyes sleepily. "...Never mind, fighting with Chikage is too exhausting."

Chikage crossed his arms over his chest, "Backing down?"

"It's not a big deal. I don't want Arisu being out here in the cold for too long either."

"How convenient for you." Chikage retorted.

"Arisu, carry me." Hisoka yawned, turning away completely from Chikage.

" _Yes, darling._ " Homare answered in English with a smitten smile.

Chikage's smirk turned strained as he watched Homare happily take Hisoka into his arms. "You spoil him too much."

"He's so cute though, I simply can't help myself."

Chikage rolled his eyes. "I'll see you two tomorrow." Just before he jumped off the roof though, he stilled for a second. "…Oh, and congratulations." he added, before disappearing in a blink of an eye.

Homare smiled. "How very like him. I suppose I'll need to jump off the roof as well. I should be able to do it after all the training I've-"

"- _No._ Absolutely not."

Homare pouted, "Then how do you propose we get down, Hisoka-kun?"

"..."

Homare sighed as he carefully sat down on the roof with Hisoka still in his arms. "Arisu…" Hisoka whispered. Homare looked down just in time to see Hisoka smiling gently at him before he hid his face against Homare's chest. “Are you cold?”

Homare smiled warmly. It wouldn't be so bad to stay up here just a bit longer. “No, not anymore.” he answered, tightening his arms around Hisoka. “...Not with you by my side, darling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "wow, you really know nothing happens in this chapter when you cant come up with a title-" Welcome back!! I certainly THOUGHT this chapter had substance, but err... I guess it isn't as much plot as the other chapters. So I just named the chapter after the ending... Arisu is such a cute nickname. It's also meant to pair with Chapter 3's title style a bit... 
> 
> One more chapter to go before this story is c o m p l e t e d!! My first completed multi-chap fic... ever. Also yes, I HAVE finished writing all the chapters for a while... but it's good to hoard chapters and keep editing so my readers only get the best, right? 
> 
> Ya'll aren't ready for when I post the final chapter...... I'm gonna be so fucking smug, just a fair warning. And I'm going to complain SO much about how hisohoma only had like 15 fics back in May 2020. And lots & lots of keyboard smashing and all caps. Look forward to it! Thanks for reading! See you next time <3


	15. The Finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10,376 words: ...  
> me: ...  
> 10,376: break me into 2 chapters  
> me: ...  
> me: no
> 
> Welcome back everyone. Oh what's this... eggy updating just 2 days after the last update? Hell ya I am. I got too impatient, and couldn't wait until after I had my nsfw epilogue written (haven't even started that whoops). I have a very smug, egotistical rant at the end of this /hj, but before that can I just say I fought SO hard to get this to 75k words. Enjoy reading!!

Homare muttered nonsensical poetry into his pillow as his alarm blared out a loud tune at five o’clock sharp in the morning. It was a classical song, and as much as Homare adored classical music, he had to admit that perhaps it wasn't his brightest idea to set it as his alarm sound. Hisoka groaned in annoyance next to him, and pulled the blanket over his head, effectively stealing most of the blanket away from Homare. While they did each have their own blanket, Hisoka’s had slipped off somewhere during the night. “…Arisu. Noisy.” 

“Yes, darling…” Homare yawned. He forced himself to get up onto his elbows to look around blearily for his phone, which he found tucked halfway under his pillow. He took it into his hand, and shut the alarm off. He tried to rub the sleepiness out of his eyes, but it was as if Hisoka’s lethargic ways had rubbed off on him. He yawned again, before moving his hand to gently pat Hisoka’s head. “Time to get up love, we need to wed.”

Hisoka groaned in response, but Homare thanked his lucky stars that his very soon-to-be-husband got up with relatively no fuss. He liked to think that as tired as he was, that Hisoka was still excited, even if Hisoka probably still thought the wedding was… not needed, to put it delicately. “…So what’s first?” Hisoka asked quietly, voice laced with sleep.

“Hair and makeup, courtesy of Azami-kun. We’ll do it in the lounge. He told us to be there by six, so we have a bit of time-”

Loud banging on their door had Homare’s head snapping towards it immediately. “Y-Yes?”

“Hurry up! Azuma-san and Guy-san have already finished their make-up and hair! How much longer are ya two planning to sleep in!?”

Homare couldn’t help but chuckle fondly at the other’s exasperated voice. “Yes, we will be right out, Azami-kun. Our gratitude for your continued patience.”

Azami didn’t respond, so Homare figured that it would probably be best that Hisoka and him got ready before they infuriated their makeup artist any further.

Homare felt fondness spreading through him as Hisoka suddenly linked their hands together, and lead them into the bathroom and closer to the sink. “My we’re acting like newlyweds already.” he smiled, gesturing with his free hand to where Hisoka was holding Homare’s other hand as they got ready together.

“Mm…” Hisoka answered sleepily, having just finished washing his face and brushing his teeth. He rested his head against the side of Homare’s shoulder, and sighed softly as Homare moved to run a brush over Hisoka’s hair.

“Your hair is so soft and gorgeous love, just like the rest of you. I have the perfect poem for this-!”

“-We’ll be late if we don’t hurry, Arisu.”

Homare pouted, but he couldn’t keep it up as a smile quickly spread on his lips as he took in the soft sheen of Hisoka’s brushed hair. “I suppose you are correct. I must say… you’re a very lucky man. After all, my vows are resplendent as the dazzling setting sun. You may find yourself overwhelmed with rising emotions.”

“…Bye.” Hisoka replied, letting go of Homare’s hand, and heading out of the bathroom. He ignored Homare’s whiny protests, and let the door shut behind him. He was tempted to go back to bed, but he knew that he would ruin Homare’s efforts of brushing his hair if he did. Not that he was against Homare fixing his hair again, as it actually felt quite nice, but he knew that Homare was more stressed about everything going perfect than he was showing outwardly.

So, like the good to-be-husband he is, who definitely didn’t abandon said fiancé in the bathroom, he started making his way to the lounge. His face was blank as he stepped into the lounge, where Azami was impatiently pacing around a stool. Upon spotting him, Azami’s eyes narrowed. “Where is Homare-san?”

“…Left him in the bathroom.”

“…Whatever. Sit on the stool.”

Hisoka moved to do as he was told, and let Azami style his hair, and dab some light makeup onto his face.

Azami grit his teeth as he worked, “Damn you… I know for a fact you didn’t get enough sleep last night. How is your skin still so good?”

Hisoka yawned in response, and let Azami finish off by dusting powder onto his face.

Azami took a few steps back to admire his work, before he nodded. “Alright, I’m done.” he said, and held up a mirror for Hisoka to look into. “How is it? Any changes you want? I did it the same way as I did for the trial.”

Hisoka blearily opened one eye, and nodded sleepily. “Looks fine.”

Azami looked like he wanted to argue for a moment, before he sighed and shrugged. “You know what… that’s great. I’m glad you think it’s fine. Whatever. Who’s next?”

“That would be me, Azami-kun.”

Azami turned his head to see Homare coming into the lounge. Azami’s eyes narrowed slightly. “...No PDA.” he warned. “…I’ll hold back since it’s your wedding day, and only because bruises would ruin my work, but I won’t appreciate it.” he added cautiously.

Homare laughed in delight, “There will be no such thing. …For now.”

Azami grimaced, and instead gestured to his stool. “Then get on. Let’s get you fixed up.”

Homare smiled as he took a seat, and let Azami start working. His eyes softened as he spotted Hisoka staring at him from the couch. Slowly, a warm smile spread on Hisoka’s lips as he mouthed, ‘I love you.’

Homare had to hold in a laugh. It felt like he was at St. Flora’s again, with the strict teachers, strict uniforms, and strict rules. His poetry wasn’t always about topics that were ‘St. Flora approved’ so he wasn’t a stranger to the bubbling adrenaline that came with doing something he wasn’t supposed to do. Azami fit the role of a strict teacher perfectly, of course. When he saw that Azami was distracted with trying to choose the right shade of blush, he mouthed back, ‘I love you’ with soft eyes and a smitten smile. 

Hisoka returned the look, and Homare melted on the spot.

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Homare had decided that both the ceremony and reception would be held at the same place. Or more specifically, it would be at the hotel that Hisoka and him had found refuge in while they were running away from July. It was also the place where Hisoka had proposed, and where the two of them had reaffirmed their love and dedication to each other.

The ceremony and reception were in different rooms though, of course. Although Homare considered the potential of having an outdoor ceremony, there were… a few people who were vocally against the idea of being outside in the frigid cold for an extended amount of time. One of those said people also happened to coincidentally be his fiancé. So that idea was vetoed near immediately. And so, the wedding coordinator from the hotel had instead offered a beautiful room with a large window overlooking the gardens instead. Homare had fallen in love with how romantic and classy the room was upon first sight.

Homare no longer had to imagine with a wistful smile how his wedding would look. Now that the room was decorated with beautiful shades of white and navy, Homare felt his breath nearly catch in his throat from how real it felt. To his surprise, however, there were also bundles of red roses everywhere. Standing proudly in vases, petals all over the walkway to the floral arch, and even hanging in aerial baskets from the ceiling.

“They were Hisoka’s touch.”

Homare turned around to see Chikage leaning against the side of the door with his arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing a black suit with a navy blue tie, and chestnut brown dress shoes.

“Chikage-kun, greetings.” Homare smiled upon seeing the other man, before tilting his head in confusion. “Why are you lurking around? And what was Hisoka’s touch?”

Chikage gestured with his head towards one of the vases filled to the brim with roses, “The roses. He took one look around earlier, and had the audacity to complain that it didn’t feel right. So what does the sleepy bastard do? He tells me to get him a fuck ton of roses in thirty minutes, and then falls asleep.”

Homare just chuckled fondly. “That does sound very Hisoka-kun-like. How absolutely charming of him.” Homare responded, humming quietly to himself as he walked over to a vase to pull out a perfectly bloomed rose. He brought it up to his nose, and took in the fresh floral scent that had just the faintest traces of rain. “Where did you ever get these? The quality is impeccable.”

“I took them from your mother’s garden.”

“Oh dear.”

“…I’m just kidding. I got them from somewhere else.”

Homare hummed again. “I see… well, no matter, I will trust that you obtained these through legal and ethical means.”

Chikage smirked, and deftly moved his fingers to smooth the lines of his suit jacket. “Whatever you say, Homare-san.”

Homare simply nodded in acceptance, and returned his attention to the rose in his hands. It truly was a wonderful bloom. Making up his mind, he decided to keep the rose with him instead of placing it back into the vase. “Where is Hisoka-kun now? I do miss him so.”

Chikage sighed quietly, and crossed his arms over his chest. “ _You’re_ the one who suddenly asked me to keep you two separated until you meet at the altar.”

“Yes, I am aware.” Homare responded, staring deeply at the rose in his hand. “You must understand, dear Chikage-kun, I am an artist that strives to share the deepest concaves of human emotion and feeling with the likes of both plebeians and royalty alike. In order to share that, one must _feel._ Tell me… what is more painstakingly and despairingly beautiful than the wait between the fated meeting of two pieces of the same soul at the highest pinnacle of devotion?” he crooned dramatically. “Tell me… does Hisoka-kun miss me so?”

“He’s been asleep the entire time, so I’d have to answer no.”

Homare shook his head, and sighed deeply. “Your primeval mind withholds you from understanding, Chikage-kun. Hisoka-kun is simply in so much distress without me at his side that he has no choice but to escape such a cruel reality into the land of dreams. Such anguish…” Homare grimaced, hand clasping at his chest, “I simply will not be able to withstand this.”

“You two haven’t seen each other for _twenty_ fucking minutes.”

Homare sighed again, and fell to his knees dramatically. “I do ever crave my sleeping beau like a scorched rose doth water.”

“There’s actually something really wrong with you fundamentally, and I need you to know that.” Chikage deadpanned.

“…Arisu.”

Homare’s head shot up, and a large smile appeared on his face as his fiancé stepped into the room. He was still wearing his usual attire since Yuki had scornfully forbidden him from napping in his wedding tuxedo, but his hair had luckily stayed styled so that it was still parted more to the left than usual.

Hisoka held a hand out, “Come with me, I have an idea to tell you.”

Homare nodded, and rose to a standing position to walk over and take Hisoka’s hand. “You weren’t supposed to see me quite yet. You can just admit that you missed me, you know.” he winked.

“…I missed you, Arisu.” Hisoka responded, letting his head fall onto the side of Homare’s shoulder.

“I know darling. I did as well.” Homare hummed, and lead them both out of the room.

“…It was just _twenty fucking minutes_.” Chikage grit out once the door slammed shut in finality.

Once Hisoka and Homare were out of the room, Homare let Hisoka take the lead once he started to pull them towards a different direction. “Oh? Where are you taking me, Hisoka-kun? Are we eloping after all? My mother and grandmother won’t be too pleased with that.”

Hisoka shook his head, and instead lead them to what appeared to be a music practice room. There was a grand piano in the middle, and a different assortment of chairs all around the room. “…Here should be good.”

Homare tilted his head slightly in confusion. “Good? For what ever purpose?”

“I’ll tell you, Arisu. But close your eyes first.”

Homare did as he was asked, and waited patiently.

“Okay, you can open them now.”

Homare blinked open his eyes before they widened as they took in the art supplies and paper laid out on the floor. “My, this is-”

“-You’ve been wanting to paint a picture with me for a while, right? I thought we could do one for fun before we’re officially married.” Hisoka explained with a neutral face as he held up a paintbrush. “Is that alright?”

Homare found himself overflowing with so much happiness and excitement, so much that he nearly tripped over his words. “Y-Yes! It’s absolutely alright! Thank you for remembering, Hisoka-kun.” he responded, taking a seat on the floor next to Hisoka.

Hisoka yawned. “It’s fine. As long as Arisu is happy.”

Homare nodded enthusiastically, “I am! I am very happy.”

“That’s good.” Hisoka replied. “What should we paint?”

“A circus!”

“...Makes sense.”

“...Why does it feel like my beloved husband-to-be is making fun of me...”

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Homare couldn’t help but be filled with warmth as he stood beneath the altar. His friends and family were all seated in front of him, and were chatting with each other idly. Each and every person looked unbothered, like there was nowhere else they’d rather be at the moment.

His gaze softened as his eyes landed on the empty seat in the front row. They had saved it for August, and while it didn’t have August’s photo on the chair, there was a smatter of cookies on the seat, and a sign that read, ‘Live.’ August’s last wish for both Hisoka and Chikage. “They’re both living well now, August... I hope you’re enjoying the wedding.” he whispered, as memories flashed through his mind.

_Homare grit his teeth in irritation. “Ah seriously... this is becoming such a-... dare I say it... a chore.” he muttered, hands tightly braced against the railing._

_Chikage was watching the falling sunset in the distance with his chin resting on his hand propped up on the railing. “Wedding blues?”_

_Homare sighed, and tried to loosen his grip on the railing so his palms wouldn’t be burning later. “Affirmative. If I end up inviting so many of my_ _guests, then it’s no longer a celebration of me and Hisoka, but a celebration of me alone, and I would rather have no wedding than have it come to that.”_

_“...So why do you have to invite so many people?”_

_Homare stilled here for a moment. “Oh... er, because I have... to?” he answered hesitantly. “Now that you mention it... everyone around me has just been assuming it’s a large wedding... giving me advice like find a caterer that gives discounts on bulk orders, to quickly find a space that could hold a lot of people since those book up quickly...”_

_Chikage rolled his eyes. “Truly spoken like someone that was born into wealth.” he replied, before he smiled in amusement. “I’m joking, alright? No need to pout at me.”_

_Homare sighed again. “What should I do...?”_

_Chikage looked thoughtful for a moment before he spoke again. “I don’t know much about weddings, but August was a romantic, through and through. He would often fantasize about the impossible for both me and the midget... but never for himself. I wonder... if a part of him always knew he wouldn’t be able to make it.”_

_Homare’s eyes softened as a small smile appeared on his face. “...August must have loved the two of you ever so dearly.”_

_Chikage’s eyes closed, and a small smile curved on his lips. “Yeah. He really did.”_

_“...Dearly loved. Not just romantic love. That’s what a wedding should be about... I think I got it now. You have my gratitude, Chikage-kun.”_

_Chikage peered open one eye to take in Homare’s peaceful expression. “...I don’t really get it, but it looks like you have it figured out.”_

_Homare grinned, “That I have. For our wedding, Hisoka-kun and I will be selfish till the very end, and do as we please. We’ll be in your care, Chikage-kun.”_

_Chikage sighed in exasperation, but there was a fond look on face. “The same as usual, then. Got it.”_

Back in the present, Homare let his eyes fall shut as the conversations in front of him become an inaudible buzz.

He never thought he’d be able to have this.

Weren’t there times in the past that he didn’t think he even deserved love? A cyborg such as him surely didn’t deserve the perfect love he wrote of in his poetry. The thought of having a soulmate never even occurred to him. That magnetic pull between two people who were meant for each other was reserved for others. People who could understand emotions and make their partner happy. Oh, how dearly he had wished that he could make someone else happy. To see their face brighten up with just his presence alone, to be their favourite person, to be the one they went to whenever they needed comfort.

Slowly, Homare’s eyes fluttered opened as the piano music started playing. It was time.

Right on cue, Itaru and Chikage walked past the wooden doors and into the room. Homare waved his arm in excitement as Chikage and Itaru came down the aisle. It wasn’t the traditional sequence for the best men to use, but then again, he did say that him and Hisoka would be selfish with their whims until the very end. Homare hid an amused smile behind his hand at the pair’s linked arms, and the cheers and whistles of support from some of the younger attendees as the two turned just a touch bashful. Or well, Itaru visibly did, but Chikage’s face was still schooled into polite neutrality.

This was exactly what Homare wanted. An intimate and warm celebration of love. Love for each other, and for everyone else here. Homare moved forward to hug the two to his chest, “As the season changes to become crisp as a flaky bite-sized pie, when I am with my roses, I do not forget thy midsummer’s warmth.” 

Itaru chuckled, and returned the hug, “We’re your roses now?”

Chikage raised an eyebrow, “You understood that?”

“In my new dating sim, there’s a character that speaks nonsense, and my affection meter gets lower every time I don’t understand them. So I have to say, I’ve gotten rather good at this.” he explained.

Chikage narrowed his eyes, “ _Dating_ sim?”

Itaru chuckled again, and while he hesitated for a moment with the crowd behind him, he quickly leaned over to peck Chikage on the cheek. “…But you’re still my best boy. Always.” he whispered, before pulling away and joining Homare on the right side.

Chikage huffed slightly, but his smile was genuine as he followed suit and headed to the left side of the altar, where Hisoka will also be standing.

Before Homare could tease either of them, the groomsmen pairs started to come down the aisle. First was Azuma and Tsumugi, and then it was Guy and Tasuku, although to Homare’s mild disappointment, none of them were linking arms. His disappointment couldn’t last long as they got closer though, and it was instead replaced with overwhelming affection for his troupe. Similar to all of their post-performance huddles, the five of them quickly linked arms and ducked their heads in laughter.

“Congratulations, Homare-san. I can’t put into words how overjoyed I am.” Tsumugi tearfully admitted with a smile.

“I think I’ve yet to meet two people who are as more drawn to each other than you and Hisoka.” Azuma offered with a small smile.

“Congratulations.” Guy added, and even though his expression was mostly neutral, his face was softened with fondness and mirth. “You two are good for each other. I might not get it, but I am sure that you two need each other.”

“Good job on… getting married. Um…” Tasuku hesitated, before scratching the back of his head. “You two are good actors. So it’s good to see you two using that passion for each other as well. O-Or, it would be the other way around, wouldn’t it-”

“You’re still no good at these things, aren’t you Taa-chan.” Tsumugi laughed.

Before Tasuku could complain about the nickname, Homare cleared his throat. “It takes a village to raise a cyborg, and you are all the bee-bop to my mi-mop.”

“…What the hell-?”

Azuma wrapped a hand around Tasuku’s mouth from behind, “We’re grateful to have both you and Hisoka as well, Homare. Before the song ends, we should get into the proper position.”

Homare nodded with a small smile as his troupe mates took their spots. Then… the only one left was…

He knew it would be bad for his heart the moment he first laid his eyes upon his fiancé in his wedding tuxedo, but he wasn’t expecting the hot tears that welled up in his eyes, or the way his skin grew way too warm. Of course he would cry at his own wedding. Why didn’t he see this coming? Hisoka looked absolutely… perfect and ethereal in ways Homare couldn’t possibly hope to find the words for with how dazed he felt. Hisoka looked stunning in his white suit, which complemented him and his hair perfectly. Before he even realized it, he had started running down the aisle towards Hisoka.

“Hisoka-kun!” Homare yelled, quickly embracing the shorter man into his arms.

Hisoka returned the embrace with ease, nestling his cheek into the crook of Homare’s neck fondly. “Arisu. This wasn’t part of the plan.”

“I missed you so dearly though.”

Hisoka sighed, his breath rustling Homare’s hair. “You saw me just a few hours earlier.”

“A few hours without you darling is a few hours without air.”

Hisoka shook his head slightly, and carefully pulled away. “Silly Arisu.” he whispered, before pulling away altogether. A small whine of protest left Homare, but it quickly turned into a yelp as Hisoka suddenly took him into his arms. Homare quickly linked his arms around Hisoka’s neck as Hisoka started to walk them both down the aisle. Suddenly, Hisoka stood still and looked pensive for a moment. “Hey Arisu, I have an idea. Lean closer?”

Homare did as he was asked, and leaned until his ear was more or less millimeters away from Hisoka’s lips. Homare’s eyes squinted and widened as he listened to what Hisoka was saying, before a smile settled on his lips. “That sounds like a lovely idea, Hisoka-kun. You did put some thought into this after all. I’m glad.”

Hisoka didn’t respond, but he instead pressed a soft kiss to Homare’s ear, before carrying his husband-to-be and himself the rest of the way to the altar.

Somewhere, in one of the seats, Muku slumped backwards into Yuki’s shoulder. “A-A bridal carry… at their w-wedding…” he mumbled incoherently, head tilting right and left.

Once they got to the altar, Hisoka carefully set Homare down on his feet, but they near immediately grabbed each other’s hands, as if they couldn’t bear to be apart from each other.

Guy looked around with a stoic expression, “Where is Citronia-sama-?”

“Right here, dayo!”

Citron took his place as the officiant, and smiled as he waved his arm in a broad stroke. “Hello, dayo! My name is Citron, and I am the officiant!” he yelled out joyously, earning some cheers and claps from the crowd, before he took on a more serious expression. “Fiends and family, we are here today to witness to the union of these two… my dear fiends.”

“He means friends.” Itaru interrupted with a bored face.

“Yes! That’s what I meant. My dear friends… you two may share your vows with each other now.”

Homare nodded with a smile, “You have my sincerest gratitude.” he replied, before turning to face Hisoka. He moved his free hand to hold Hisoka’s other hand, so that he’d be holding both of Hisoka’s hands in his own. As Homare stared lovingly at his beloved’s face, he slowly came to a horrible realization.

For the life of him, he couldn’t remember a single word from his vows.

He wasn’t even nervous before he came to that realization, so he wasn’t sure why his mind was going blank. Homare had recited his vows probably a good thousand times by now, and it would have been more times had their engagement been longer, but he was suddenly as empty in the head as the time he was to recite one of his poems at a show-and-tell at school, but couldn’t settle on one poem the night before, and so he tried to memorize _all_ of his poems, which admittedly was a little tough for even a child prodigy of his calibre-

“Arisu.”

Homare was brought out of his thoughts as Hisoka suddenly spoke his name. Before he could say anything, Hisoka continued speaking. “When I first met you, I didn’t have any of my memories. I was simply an empty husk. You could have chosen to just tolerate me, or even ignore me, and leave it at that. …But you didn’t. You took care of me, and made sure I was always okay. You always have so much kindness to give, Arisu. It’s like it’s overflowing. At times, I resent how kind you are… I hate seeing you get hurt, mentally or physically, for the sake of others… but I couldn’t imagine an Arisu that wasn’t so kind. Or perhaps, selfishly… I’m grateful that it’s because of your kindness that you accepted that husk of a man back then. I’ve gotten many things since then – past memories, new memories, another family… and of course, you. My beloved and stupid Arisu. My vows… they are my gratitude and promises to you. It’s nothing you haven’t heard before, but I swear that for the rest of my life… I, Hisoka Mikage, will love, cherish, and protect you with everything I have, and everything that I am, for the rest of our lives together. Thank you, Arisu. Thank you for letting me be in love with you. I couldn’t have made it this far without you.”

Homare didn’t bother to wipe away the warm tears that were dropping off his chin. He wasn’t completely sure when he had started full-on crying, but he didn’t care. He knew what he wanted to say. It wouldn’t even be close to what his original poems- er, vows were like, but that was fine. This would be even better.

“Hisoka-kun, darling, I love you so incredibly much. I would have done you no larger disservice than if you were not aware of that. Needless to say, I truly believed that I would never be able to find this selfless and resolute love from anyone else towards me… and certainly not from someone that frazzles my mind so absolutely. You are my favorite and only ending to our story, and there is no one else I’d rather spend the rest of my life with. I swear with all my heart, and everything that I am, that I, Homare Arisugawa, will love, cherish, and protect you with everything I have, and everything that I am, for the rest of our lives together. Thank you for loving me back so wholeheartedly. I couldn’t have made it this far without you.”

Hisoka’s eyes softened, but he made sure to follow up quickly before Citron moved onto pronouncing them husbands. He carefully let go of Homare’s hands after giving them a small, reassuring squeeze, and moved to take his ring off. Homare smiled as he took that as a cue to take off his own ring. “Arisu… we have a lot of memories together, and I cherish all of them. I remember when you tried to leave me behind when you went ring shopping because Arisu is dumb. I also remember that you were upset during that time, and how we overcame it together. It’s a very special memory to me. When we chose these rings, you said they matched the color of our hair. In a way… they’re a representation of ourselves. This ring is very important to me, and because it is… here, Arisu.” Hisoka explained, and took hold of Homare’s hand to slide his ring onto Homare’s finger. “Now a part of me will always be with you, even when I can’t physically be by your side.”

Homare’s tears still hadn’t stopped flowing, but he finally made a move to wipe them away with his free hand. “Hisoka-kun… I do remember. All of our memories are very important to me as well. In particular, our ring shopping outing is especially important to me. It’s because it was with you in particular. There is no other being in this hemisphere that I would rather swear my life to than you, my love. I too, see this ring as one of my most prized possessions. It represents me, but it also represents my oath to you. I have poured all the love I could muster into it. As such,” Homare responded, and lovingly slid the ring onto Hisoka’s finger, “there exists no more of a suitable owner for it than yourself. Let this be your light in your times of need, and serve as a reminder that I will always be here for you.”

Upon finishing, Homare turned to Citron to give him a quick nod, before hastily turning back to face Hisoka. He then let himself get completely lost in the way Hisoka’s smile looked so genuine and fond.

“Homare Arisugawa, do you take Hisoka Mikage to be your wedded husband?”

“I do.”

“Hisoka Mikage, do you take Homare Arisugawa to be your wedded husband?”

“I do.”

Citron smiled as he closed the officiant book in his hands. “Then with the power vested in me, I hereby pronounce you two as husbands. May you two forever cherish and protect one another. You may now kiss.”

Homare didn’t need to be told twice, he had been wanting to kiss his husband… _husband_ , for ages now, and now he was finally going to be able to. Ah, but he should probably work harder to remember these feelings for the poetry he’d be writing later in anticipation of their ten year anniversary-

“Arisu…” Hisoka sighed in exasperation, as he stared at Homare’s rapidly changing expressions once more. “Even your mind can’t be quiet.” he shook his head, and instead wrapped his arms around his husband’s neck to pull him down into a kiss.

Homare’s eyes widened at the sudden shift in gravity as his head was forced down, but they soon fell close as he accepted the kiss that silenced all the thoughts in his head. In fact, he completely forgot where him and Hisoka were until he suddenly registered the loud cheers and clapping coming from the crowd behind them. Homare pulled back from the kiss like a man who had just gotten out of the water. How long had they even been kissing for? His breaths were ragged, so he was sure it had to be at least a minute or two.

“… _Ten minutes._ You made us watch you two suck each other’s faces for ten straight minutes. You two are the absolute _worst_.” Chikage grit out, held back by Itaru holding his hand tightly and whispering useless platitudes to try and calm him down.

Hisoka returned the challenging look, before suddenly taking Homare into his arms again. Homare yelped as his feet left the ground, and quickly wrapped his arms around Hisoka’s neck. “D-Darling?” he asked hesitantly, before another yelp left his mouth as Hisoka suddenly started running down the aisle with him in his arms. “Darling, w-wait!”

Their guests watched as the two ran out of the room towards who knows where. Confused murmurs filled the room as uncertain guests discussed amongst themselves on what to do. Clapping from the front of the room caught their attention. “Alright, ladies and gentlemen, please do not panic. The exit leading to the hallway is behind you, please take a right and you’ll find the reception room. There will be refreshments waiting for you, but please do take note of which ones are non-alcoholic if you’re a minor. Dinner will served to you in two hours, at 5 o’ clock sharp. The gardens outside are also open to guests, but it is rather chilly today, so please do take your jacket with you if you choose to go outside. If you have any other questions, please come forward, and I will do my best to address them.” Itaru spoke over the confusion, which was followed by a dazzling smile.

Tsumugi laughed nervously as a group of starstruck middle-aged women and men came up to Itaru, asking him any and all questions under the sun. Most of which didn’t even have anything to do with the wedding itself.

“You have such a lovely smile, young man.”

“I’m not all that young anymore, but thank you for your kind words.”

“Your hair is so glossy, what’s your secret?”

“Aha, I rinse and repeat, and I also use a bit of conditioner.”

“Where do you work?”

“I work at a trading company. I’m just your average salaryman, so I’m afraid I can’t give you a more interesting answer, I apologize.”

Chikage wordlessly wrapped his arm around Itaru’s waist nonchalantly, and leaned in too close for comfort towards Itaru’s ear. “We should probably go check on the guests in the reception area.” he whispered casually, enjoying how the tips of Itaru’s ears dusted with pink. And if he felt any sardonic joy in the way that the gaggle of guests took a few steps back, well… that would just be another one of his little secrets.

“R-Right…” Itaru answered quietly, but he didn’t make a move to shake off Chikage’s arm around his waist. He forced a polite smile onto his lips as he raised his head. “It was great talking to you all, was there anything else I could help you with?”

The group of people quickly shook their head with sheepish thanks and nods, and quickly dispersed the room. “…They were Homare-san’s guests, I think. Editors, mentors, family friends, that sort.”

Chikage just hummed in affirmation, and started leading Itaru towards the exit.

“…Did you get jealous, senpai?”

“Not in the slightest.” Chikage answered easily.

Itaru just laughed a little, and tucked his head into the crook of Chikage’s neck. “I love you too, senpai.”

Chikage hesitated for a moment, but eventually caved in and tightened his hold around Itaru’s waist. “I know.”

Itaru just laughed again. “So unromantic. Even at a wedding.”

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Hisoka gently set Homare down on a sofa in their ‘grooms room’, or whatever Homare said it was. It was a quaint space with large windows, sofas, and a dressing table. There was also an attached bathroom to the side. Once Hisoka had Homare settled, he slipped off his shoes and moved to lie his head down on his husband’s lap.

Homare’s eyes softened with adoration as he began to gently thread his fingers through Hisoka’s hair, “Are you falling asleep?” he asked quietly. “You can if you wish to. There’s still some time before dinner starts.”

Hisoka grunted softly, and tried to curl up closer to Homare. “I want to… but I can’t.”

Homare chuckled, and shook his head in amusement. “My goodness, you of all people are unable to fall asleep? If I may be so valiant to propose, I’d dare say you are unable to sleep from… mayhap, excitement?” he added with a wink.

“…Probably.” Hisoka answered after a few beats of silence.

“I did not expect you to admit that.” Homare smiled, and moved his free hand to cradle Hisoka’s cheek. “But of course, I feel the very same way. I am simply brimming with joy and excitement. I am aware that we’d be together for eternity even without the binding of the law, but it does bring me such happiness in being able to display our love with our most cherished family and friends.”

Hisoka’s eyes closed slightly, and he moved his hand to grasp the hand that was cradling his cheek, “…Me too. I’m happy. …I just wish August could have been here to see it.”

“I’m sure he has.” Homare answered sincerely, “He gave us his blessing, after all.”

Hisoka’s eyes fully closed here, “…Yeah, you two would have been close, Arisu. Thank you for everything up to now, and beyond now… it means more to me than you will ever know. In the beginning, I was fine with being an empty husk, but… your warmth changed that.”

Homare noticed that Hisoka’s voice was getting steadily quieter and drowsier with every passing second. “For a long time, I’ve accepted that I would always be a broken cyborg, and that I would bring pain to anyone who had the misfortune of being my partner. Thank you for calling me warm, Hisoka-kun. You are very warm as well.”

“…Zzz.”

“Good night, my love.” Homare whispered, his own eyes starting to slowly flutter close as he leaned back against the sofa.

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 _Chikage:_ Hello, Homare-san, dinner is ready to start on time for 5 o’clock. Will you and Hisoka be coming soon?

 _Chikage:_ Homare-san, are you there?

 _Chikage:_ Not this shit again.

_[2 Missed Calls]_

_Chikage:_ I’m coming _._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

Loud knocking from the door had Homare’s eyes snapping open immediately, and trying to get onto his feet before he remembered that his husband was still sleeping on his lap. Hisoka grunted in irritation, and sleepily tried to push Homare back with his hands.

“Homare-san? I know you’re in there.” Chikage called out. “Do I need to break the lock?”

Homare’s eyes widened, and he furiously shook his head before he remembered that Chikage wouldn’t be able to see. “N-No! It’s quite alright, Chikage-kun. I’ll come unlock the door.” he hastily responded, before he stiffened as he looked down at his peacefully sleeping angel.

Homare almost wanted to pout from how unfairly adorable, and not to mention, drop dead gorgeous, his husband was. Silver locks that gleamed from the sunlight pouring in, delicate and long eyelashes, and soft lips that Homare so desperately wanted to lose himself in, it was impossible to find a single fault with his appearance. Even the first time that they met, when Hisoka was dead to the world on the pavement, Homare couldn’t help but think that he was beautiful. Truly, love at first sight. It just had taken him a while to acknowledge his feelings. But when he finally realized, he found himself falling even deeper. And when the truth about Hisoka’s past started to unravel, he found himself wanting to protect Hisoka even more.

“…Truly, you are my everything, Hisoka-kun.” Homare whispered fondly, “What a wonder you are…”

“That’s it, I’m breaking in.”

“Please wait-” Homare tried to call out, but it was too late. The door pushed open to reveal a miffed Chikage, who had a scowl settled on his features. He normally didn’t have much emotion to show on his face, but as with most things that concerned Hisoka, there were often exceptions.

“So? Instead of being lovey-dovey at dinner and suffocating everyone who’s innocently trying to enjoy their meal, you’re being considerate and being lovey-dovey in here alone? I’d say you two are learning, but I hope you are aware that we are at _your_ wedding, and this is the _one time_ I’ll tolerate your lovey-doveyness, and-”

“-Shut up, Chikage, you’re loud.” Hisoka grimaced, moving his hands to cover his ears.

Chikage’s smirk turned just the slightest bit more menacing. “That’s it, hand over the son of a-”

“-Homare-san? Hisoka-san? You two have senpai rather pressed, don’t you? LOL, hurry to dinner before he pops a blood vessel.” Itaru interrupted, popping his head in through the door.

Homare nodded sleepily, and moved a hand to cover his yawn. “Oh yes, I hope everyone wasn’t too bored while we were-” he said, before his eyes widened into alertness, “-Oh my goodness, I completely forgot, Omi-kun was going to take photos of me and Hisoka-kun before dinner.”

“It’s fine.” Chikage replied, seemingly having gotten his composure back, “He was a bit disappointed, but he had fun taking photos of all the guests. He said he wanted to see you two after dinner for some photos though. It’ll be dark outside, but I’m sure you can just take photos indoors or something.”

Homare nodded, and rubbed at his eyes one to get rid of the last bits of sleepiness. “I understand. My apologies for putting you two to work, it was not my intention in the slightest to fall asleep.”

Itaru smiled charmingly, “It’s fine of course, Homare-san. I am your best man, after all. Ah, but if you _really_ feel bad about it, there’s this new mobage game I’m whaling for-”

“-As troublesome as you two can be, we are happy to do it because the two of you are a part of our family, and we care for you. Isn’t that right, Chigasaki?”

If Itaru wanted to sigh or roll his eyes, he hid it well enough. “Yes, senpai.”

Homare chuckled, and nodded. “Both me and Hisoka-kun love you two, and our family, very much as well. I guess I should wake my sleeping beau now…” Homare responded, before gently poking Hisoka in the cheek repetitively. “Poke, poke, wake up, Hisoka-kun…

“…Zzz.”

“Very well.”

Homare fished around the bottom of the sofa cushions the best he could with Hisoka lying on his lap for a few seconds. “…Aha. Found it.” he called out softly, and pulled out a bag of marshmallows. “I had asked one of the workers at this establishment to leave bags of marshmallows hidden everywhere. I plan on finding them all with Hisoka-kun later. I think it’ll be good for the photography session with Omi-kun too.”

Chikage’s lips curved into a small smile. “A marshmallow treasure hunt, huh?”

“Ding ding. Mega points for Homare-san. Happy ending achieved. Congratulations. I know I said before you were playing this love sim on super ultra hard mode, but you still managed to get the good ending, and you didn’t even look at the playthrough. GG.” Itaru added with a genuine smile.

Homare felt warmness bloom in his chest. “We couldn’t have done it without the both of you, and everyone else. You have all my eternal gratitude-”

“-You’re too noisy, Arisu.”

Homare perked up, and grinned as Hisoka grudgingly woke up. “Good morning, my sweet love. Or rather, it may be more appropriate to say good evening. Shall we go see our guests at dinner?”

“…Fine.” Hisoka replied, and moved to get up from Homare’s lap. Upon seeing the marshmallows, he made a grab for them. Homare chuckled as he teasingly hid them behind his back. Hisoka made an unimpressed face. “…Arisu.”

“Ah, ah!” Homare called out in amusement. “I have but a riddle for you, my dearest Hisoka-kun. What you wish for is sweet, and tantalizing to your senses. What I wish for is the same. The two are different things. If you give me what I want, you will get what you want-”

Hisoka didn’t even wait for Homare to finish before leaning in and pressing a kiss to his husband’s lips, which Homare happily accepted.

“Gross.”

“Shut up Chikage, no one asked you.” Hisoka responded after pulling back. Hisoka reached over to take the bag of marshmallows, and sleepily started to snack on the sugary snacks.

“Let’s hurry, we will be late for dinner if we don’t go soon.” Itaru called out.

Homare nodded, and after some prodding and poking, Hisoka moved to follow him towards the door. The four of them chatted idly as they walked towards the dining hall. The conversations and noise from the dining hall got louder and louder as they got closer.

“It sounds awfully cheery in there.” Homare pointed out.

Chikage nodded, “It is. Everyone is excited for you two, after all.”

Upon entering the hall, Homare grabbed Hisoka’s hand, and made a beeline for where the rest of Winter Troupe was seated. It was a table right at the front of the room, but everyone seemed to be too invested in their own conversations to notice the newcomers. The tables were set that all the troupes would be at their own table, and as for the rest of their (Homare’s) guests, they were seated accordingly.

“Everyone!” Homare called out, which attracted the attention from some of the other tables as well, who stood up to cheer and clap. “Ah, thank you, thank you!” Homare grinned, and waved his hands. “I’ll be sure to make time to talk to all of you later. For now, please enjoy your meal to your heart’s content.”

Homare then turned to face Winter Troupe again. “Everyone, I’m glad to see you are all still in one piece. I presume you are enjoying your dinner?”

“’s good.” Tasuku said as he wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin. “This probably costed a fortune though.”

Homare chuckled, “It wasn’t too awful. One of our family friends is a world-renowned chef, and he offered his services to us at a discounted rate. I’m glad the food is to your liking.” Homare responded, before taking a seat at one of the two empty chairs. Hisoka quietly slumped into the empty chair beside him, and moved to rest his head against Homare’s shoulder. Homare tried not to move his body too much as he waved goodbye to Itaru and Chikage, who were making their way to Spring Troupe’s table.

“Fufu... I’m a little surprised you didn’t assign Itaru and Chikage to sit with you and Hisoka.” Azuma offered, cheeks just the slightest tint of pink from drinking. He was also carrying a full flute of champagne in his hand.

Homare nodded, “It wasn’t a hard decision, per se. They are our best men, and they are very important to us, but it was this… our beloved Winter Troupe, that wholeheartedly accepted me and Hisoka-kun. I wanted to spend this time with all of you.”

Guy nodded solemnly, “I see. …Admittedly, I am a bit envious sometimes. I wish I could have been a part of Winter Troupe from the very beginning. But I am also aware that in that reality, things might turn out differently. My point is that I feel very fortunate to be able to spend this time in Winter Troupe’s company, and I look forward to the future with all of you.”

Tsumugi smiled, and nodded as well. “I’m sure we all feel that way. It hasn’t always been easy, but I know that there is nothing about this troupe I would ever change. From the bottom of our hearts, we are truly happy to congratulate you two on getting married. To Homare-san and Hisoka-san having a blissful and joyous marriage for the rest of their lives together.”

Tsumugi held out his glass of champagne to the middle of the table, which his troupe mates followed suit with. “Cheers!” they said in unison as they clinked their glasses.

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Sometime after Homare and Hisoka had finished their dinner, and finished making rounds at the different guests’ tables, music started playing and streams of people started making their way to the dance floor.

Homare smiled as he bowed elegantly, before unfurling his hand for Hisoka to take. “May I have our first dance, my dear husband?”

Hisoka had a small smile on his lips as he took Homare’s hand wordlessly, and let his husband lead them to the dance floor. It was as if their night of dancing in the kitchen was the first showing of a private soirée, and this was the finale. Their past experience allowed them to glide across the dancefloor elegantly and expertly as a slow waltz played.

“You are so handsome, Hisoka-kun.” Homare said in a quiet and awed voice as he lead them in the waltz. “You are simply mesmerizing. It feels like the very pieces of my soul cannot bear to look away from you.”

“…Arisu is so dramatic.” Hisoka responded, before his gaze softened considerably. “But I like that, I guess… and I like you. You look very pretty too, Arisu. I wouldn’t say I _can’t_ look away, but I don’t want to. I want to look at you.”

Homare chuckled, as he shook his head endearingly. “I suppose that’s the highest praise I’ll receive this night. Thank you, Hisoka-kun.”

“It won’t be.” Hisoka responded with certainty.

Before Homare could respond, the song came to a close, before changing into a more lively and upbeat song. Homare’s eyes widened with joy. “Oh! I know this song. It’s popular with the younglings nowadays… come Hisoka-kun, let’s dance our hearts away.”

Hisoka’s smile was amused and exasperated as he watched his husband break out some… _interesting_ dance moves.

Near the end of the dance, and as the music died down, the clinking of glass was heard through the speakers. Both Homare and Hisoka turned their heads to the front of the room where Chikage and Itaru were standing.

Itaru moved his microphone away from Chikage’s glass once he felt that he had the attention of everyone in the room. “Good evening. I hope everyone has had a chance to enjoy their dinner and perhaps enjoy the dance floor. As you know, me and sen- Chikage are the grooms’ best men. As such, we have speeches prepared for the both of them.” he announced, which had the room quieting down immediately as they turned their heads to listen. “Homare-san, Hisoka-san... since you two have married and combined your stats and passive skills, you two can now enjoy being OP together. But like seriously, wealth and mad cheater character skills, you two don’t even need to do anything to get on the ranking boards. GG. Good for you two.”

Confused guests (Homare’s guests) whispered amongst themselves. “D-Did... did he say _cheater_? Did one of them cheat?”

“Oh my...” her companion whispered back.

Loud clinking from the front got everyone’s attention again. Chikage held up a hand as he smiled politely. “My apologies, my companion has had a bit too much to drink, and that didn’t come out quite right. What he was _trying_ to say was that Homare-san and Hisoka met online on a mobile game, where they were both on top of the ranking boards. There were rumours at the time that Hisoka was using cheats since he was always #1, and it was a known fact that Homare-san spends a _lot_ of money to play the game, which made sense since he was always #2. The two met in real life, and well... the rest is history, as you know.”

A man raised his hand, “Ah, could this game be the inspiration for Arisugawa-sensei’s newest work, _Gamers Rise Up_?” he asked, as other patrons around the room started excitedly talking about how _artistically mind provoking_ and boundary breaking the work was. “It’s one of my favourite works from him!” he added, as others from across the room voiced their agreement.

“Yes, absolutely. Quite the charming tale, isn’t it?” Chikage answered without the slightest hint that he was lying, earning another round of cheers from the crowd.

“...Oh my.” Homare laughed into his hand. “This has gotten rather out of hand. But it’s fun, isn’t it, Hisoka-kun?”

“...Zzz.”

“Ah well...” Homare laughed again, hugging Hisoka’s slack form to his chest, “This is fun too in a way. It’s very much like us, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

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“Voila. That should be the last of them.” Homare nodded with a satisfied look as Hisoka pulled out a bag of marshmallows from a bush in the gardens. It was cold, but all three of them had their jackets and winterwear on. Homare then turned to face Omi. “You have my gratitude for all of your work, Omi-kun. I apologize again for failing to meet up with you before dinner. I really wish you would consider allowing me to compensate you with more than just my highest praise, I could easily-”

“-No, absolutely not. I told you, this is my gift to you two, and I’m more than happy to do it. Would you like any more photos? I think we have a good number now, though.” Omi explained with a warm smile.

Homare shook his head, “No, like you said, we should have more than enough. I’d hate for the three of us to stay out here much longer in this frigid cold as well. Please, Omi-kun, go warm yourself up indoors.”

Omi nodded. “Sounds good, Homare-san. One more time, congratulations you two! Don’t stay out here _too_ long, alright?” Omi winked, before he started walking towards the entrance to the venue.

Homare felt his cheeks warm up, even though he knew very well that Omi didn’t mean it _that_ way. Or at least, he _thinks_ Omi wouldn’t-

“Arisu, my marshmallows are getting cold.”

Homare snapped out of his thoughts to see Hisoka trudging through the light snow with the bag of marshmallows in his hands. True to Hisoka’s words, the bag was clouding with condensation due to the cold. “Ah, then let us hurry back inside-” Homare started, before he sneezed three times in a row into his elbow.

“…Don’t catch a cold, Arisu.” Hisoka chided quietly as he came closer to Homare.

“Yes, my apologies for worrying you, Hisoka-kun. I’m quite alright.” Homare promised with a smile, moving to wrap his arms around Hisoka once the other man was close enough. “It’s much warmer with you here in my arms, I must admit. How useful.” he chuckled.

Hisoka peered up at Homare though his eyelashes. “…I can make you even warmer. Lean down, Arisu.”

Homare could feel his face heating up again as those deceptively nonchalant eyes bore into his. “A-As you wish. Like this?” Homare asked, lowering his head to be on the same level as Hisoka’s. He couldn’t help but sigh softly as Hisoka’s hands moved up to gently cradle his cheeks, the warmth of his hands alone almost enough to completely warm him up.

But it wasn’t enough.

Hisoka nodded slowly. “Now close your eyes.”

Homare duly did as he was asked, letting his eyes flutter shut as he fully surrendered himself to his husband. It wasn’t long before he felt Hisoka’s lips against his, which were a welcome warmth against the bitter cold.

When Hisoka finally made a move to pull away so that Homare could catch his breath, he instead pressed their foreheads together. “…I love you, Arisu.” he whispered, letting the wind carry away his words to the sky. He hoped that it would reach the fates themselves, and that it was a challenge to them as much as a promise to Homare. No matter what got thrown at them, they would always be together, fate be damned. It might have been fate that brought them together in the first place, and Hisoka will always be grateful for that, but he’s not letting anyone or anything take away his most precious person again.

Homare grinned, and despite his best attempts to hold back, there were definitely tears running down his cheeks. “I love you too, Hisoka-kun.” he whispered back, hoping that the other man could fully understand how much he meant those words. Homare couldn’t help but laugh as Hisoka leaned in to kiss away his tears.

“…Salty.” he deadpanned, sticking his tongue out.

Homare wasted no time in leaning closer again as they shared another kiss. “…Was that sweeter, Hisoka-kun?” Homare asked, eyes brimming with happiness and love.

“…Yes.” Hisoka answered, letting his head fall against Homare’s shoulder.

Both their smiles were warm as they walked hand-in-hand back towards the entrance of the venue.

As they pulled open the door together, Homare couldn’t help but chuckle fondly. “Out of curiosity, what feelings do our love story evoke out of you?”

“Exhaustion.” Hisoka responded without missing a beat.

“Ah, I figured so.”

Hisoka smiled gently as he tightened his hold on Homare’s hand. “...But happiness too. I’m very happy.”

Homare laughed, feeling tears of joy stinging at his eyes again. “Aptly said, Hisoka-kun. Cheers to our happily ever after.”

“Cheers.” Hisoka responded quietly, before he suddenly frowned. “...Arisu, feed me marshmallows. I can’t eat them with one hand.” he sighed, jostling his bag of marshmallows.

“I suppose I’ll be doing this even more from now on.” Homare chuckled, reaching into the bag and pulling out a marshmallow. “...And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” he grinned, bringing the sweet confectionary to Hisoka’s lips.

In return for the sweet kiss Hisoka gave to his fingers just before they pulled away to grab another marshmallow, Homare pressed a kiss to where Hisoka’s head was leaning against his shoulder, and smiled as the sound of their precious family and friends grew louder as they walked further down the hallway.

“... _Thank you_.”

Homare’s eyes widened as he looked around the hallway, before raising an eyebrow at Hisoka. “Ah pardon me, did you say something, darling?”

“...I didn’t say anything, Arisu.” Hisoka quietly responded.

Homare nodded slowly. “Is that so... how peculiar...” he responded, before he smiled again. “Well, it’s not an issue. Let us hurry back to the dining hall. I heard Chikage-kun and Itaru-kun prepared some wedding games for us!”

“Wedding games... that sounds like something August would come up with.”

Homare laughed warmly, “Why yes, it does sound like August would appreciate-” he suddenly stilled on the spot, which forced Hisoka to stop in his tracks as well.

“...Arisu?” Hisoka called out.

“...Ah.” Homare murmured, as the realization slowly dawned on him. His bangs lowered to cover his eyes as he smiled. “You’re welcome. I hope that the wedding was to your liking.”

“...How convenient for you to lose it just as we got married. Through sickness and health, huh...” Hisoka rolled his eyes.

“You are ever so rude to me!” Homare laughed, gently poking a finger into Hisoka’s cheek. “I would strongly advise against being so cruel to the one painstakingly feeding you marshmallows.”

Hisoka smiled in return, “Is it really that painstaking?”

“No, of course not.” Homare answered lovingly into Hisoka’s locks. “Taking care of you, like I’ve said before, is my life’s work now.”

“...Mine too. I’ll work hard so that Arisu is always taken care of and happy.”

“Well, you do happen to be very good at that, Hisoka-kun. I’ll have to keep up so I won’t lose.”

“...No. Like I said before, the one who can’t win against Arisu is me.”

Homare’s eyes fluttered shut as he tightened his hold on his husband’s hand. “Then... let us both do our very best so neither of us will lose to the other.”

“Sounds tiresome... but I’ll do it.”

Homare’s eyes opened slowly, but he kept his chin resting on top of Hisoka’s head. “...Say, just out of curiosity, if August was here right now, what would you say to him?” Homare asked after a few beats of silence.

Hisoka’s eyebrow raised. “Have you actually gone crazy? That was to you, by the way, not to August. Actually... it sort of works for you both. You two really are similar.”

“I’m admittedly rather uncertain about how to feel on the crazy piece, but I’m honoured to be compared with August.” Homare laughed.

Hisoka’s eyebrows furrowed together as he continued to think deeply. “But if I could tell him anything right now... it would be... thanks. And I’d hope he could see how happy I am to be wth you.”

Homare’s eyes teared up slightly as he pressed another kiss to Hisoka’s hair. “I’m sure he knows. I hope that he sees how happy I am to be with you as well.”

“...Why did you ask me that?” Hisoka asked once they got to the end of the hallway, and stood in front of the door leading to the dining hall.

“...Well, you never know, correct? August could very much be here right now.” Homare offered with a wink.

Hisoka mulled over his thoughts in silence for a few seconds before he spoke again. “...You were right, August. As you always are. Both Chikage and I found our fated ones.”

“Fufu. I wonder what I-... what _we_ should get them for their wedding?” Homare asked, warmness blooming in his chest as he realized he would have to get used to saying ‘we’ a lot more often from here on out.

“...A toaster oven.”

“My, what a surprisingly practical suggestion.”

“That also toasts marshmallows.”

“Of course.”

“Arisu...”

“Yes, yes. We’ll get one after the wedding is over, alright?”

Behind them, August watched with watery eyes and a warm smile as the two pushed open the doors to the dining hall together, which erupted with loud cheers and clapping as the two walked inside, and let the door fall shut behind them. As the door swung close, August could also feel his form dissipating.

“ _Yes, it very much was to my liking, Homare. And I’m overjoyed beyond words to know that, Hisoka._ ” he whispered, eyes falling shut and tears dribbling down his cheek as he surrendered himself to the darkness once again.

Ah... but maybe he’ll choose to be a meddlesome busybody again once a certain other person got engaged.

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The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Alright, first of all (swears incoming) fucking hell ya, I just did T H A T. 75k words of pure fucking tears (jk no tears but u sure cried /j) and sweat. I can't even count how many hours I spent writing this, since this is the first fic I've hoarded chapters and re-edited countless times (I used to be very much a update-the-second-I-finish writer). I've been holding it in, but what in the absolute fuck, hisohoma should have NEVER only had 15 fics when the a3! ao3 archive was already bopping (read: May 2020). How can you look at Hisoka fucking Mikage and Homare fucking Arisugawa and tell me that they deserve only less than 15 fics in 2020?? In fact, I don't have ANY other ships similar to hisohoma's dynamic (I'm very much a enemies-to-lovers gal) and I'm half convinced I went absolu-fucking ham on hisohoma through pure spite and spite alone. 
> 
> Also, I'm not sure about now, but when I first started writing this, this was the first (read: only) multi-chap (not including twoshots) story with hisohoma as main on ao3 (like 99% sure). And here we are now in November 2020... 62 fics. A 313% increase. Which looks good on paper, sure, but my soul will not rest until hisohoma gets at least 100 fics (this isn't even asking for a lot dfjhdsjf especially since some aren't even English). I'm hoping with the fuyu arc in the anime coming soon (fuyu nation how are we feeling??) that hisohoma will be more popular, but we'll see. 
> 
> Last, but certainly not least... thank you all for all the support you've provided me. A few individuals in particular really deserve a lot of praise, and I won't name you, but you know who you are (basically anyone who commented more than once). This ended up being a much larger task (albeit an enjoyable one) than I had originally anticipated, and I really couldn't have done it without all the nice comments and my super sweet readers. Wind Through My Fingers (kind of a dumb title now that I think about it) is now over... (minus the nsfw epilogue that has exactly 0 words) but I still have hisohoma brainrots, so this is certainly not goodbye. I do feel kind of sad though... accomplished, but sad. I just love all of you so so much, and hope that this journey was as fun for you as it was for me. 
> 
> If you enjoyed this 75k word monstrosity, feel free to leave kudos, comments, bookmarks, or do a social media mention~ I lurk very hard on Twitter, and will find it (usually). One last time... thank you all for reading!! <33 eggy is out~~


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